14 FOX-HUNTINa IN THE PRESENT DAY. 



dent, or a check, lie is enabled to hold on for 

 ten or twenty more, he is called a gallant old fox, 

 and the run he has afforded is immediately stuck 

 into Bell's Life, as something out of the common 

 course. 



I met a gentleman a few days since (January, 

 1860), returning from hunting with the North 

 Warwickshire pack, and to my query as to sport 

 he replied — "We had a grand meet, somewhat 

 over two hundred horsemen, — found in B. Wood, 

 badgered and hammered him about for some little 

 time ; at last he went away over a few fields, when 

 I saw him cross the road and take refuge in a pig- 

 sty, whence he was unceremoniously pulled out 

 by the hounds." This is the sort of every-day 

 finale to what are called fox-chases in the present 

 era. A multiplicity of hounds — ditto of red coats, 

 tiying to scream or mob a fox to death before he 

 is half awake — a helter-skelter scurry for two or 

 three miles, which finishes off the fat, pursy ani- 

 mal ; and this is called a splendid thing ! Bah ! 

 How many of these two or three hundred men in 

 buckram would be in at the death of a thorough 

 good, straight-going fox of the olden time, after 

 crossing twelve or fourteen miles of country ? Not 

 half a score. 



Pox-hunting in the last centuiy was followed 



