50 Memoir of Tom Smith. 



man outside tlie wood imluckily hallooed them 

 on to a fresh fox away over the open down. 

 It was impossible to get nj) to the hounds 

 until they had got into Potcombe Wood, when 

 it was getting dark, or they would have been 

 taken back to the wood where they had left 

 their beaten fox, which had been so nearly 

 killed that one man got off his horse believing 

 such to be the case. 



It was now time to think of home, which 

 was not less than forty miles off, and there 

 was scarcely light enough to count the hounds. 

 Wlien this was done, it appeared that two 

 were missing. The horn was accordingly 

 bloA\Ti two or three times, and a halloo was 

 heard at a distance in reply. Shortly after 

 one of Colonel Wyndham's men rode uj) with 

 a message from his master, inviting Mr. Smith 

 to take up his quarters with him for the night, 

 the pack, &c. of course being included in the 

 invitation. They reached the Drove between 

 eight and nine o'clock; and after he had seen 



