142 Memoir of Tom Smith, 



end of the second large field, where they threw 

 up, he heard such remarks as, '^ Here's a pretty- 

 sort of huntsman." He told two men on foot 

 to get the fox out of a di-ain which he alone 

 had seen one hound mark, and directly led the 

 pack off to the far side of the gorse, rode into 

 it with them, and, as he expected, found the 

 other fox on the outside, ready for a start. 

 The fox broke away before any of the men had 

 got up, thus giving the hounds a better chance 

 than usual ; and being well settled to their fox, 

 the men had quite enough to do to get sight 

 of them for at least a mile. On they went at a 

 racing pace for about half an hour, when they 

 came to a check in a road. The men were 

 now getting their second horses; and Lord 

 Cardigan, who regretted the check, was look- 

 ing about for his, when Mr. Smith said to him, 

 *^ Never mind about your horse; the fox is 

 gone down the road, and Ave shall hit him off 

 before we get to the fresh manure-heap." They 

 then kept on together ; the hounds hit off the 



