98 THE CEAVEIT COUNTRY. 



adjoining, where I barred him back from the big 

 wood, by placing Villebois and others between 

 them ; and as he turned sulky, and would not break 

 when the coast was left clear for him, he soon paid 

 the penalty. 



Having eaten him, we went to find another, a 

 couple of miles distant, and as this fox crossed the 

 drive before me, I saw he was not a fresh one, and 

 after a turn or two round the covert, I got at him 

 with ten couples of hounds, in the high wood, by 

 the side of which a drive ran, parallel to the out- 

 side, and by galloping and cheering them down 

 this drive, as fast as I could gallop, fox-hounds 

 and myself all came out in view at the bottom, 

 and away we went, racing across a few fields, with 

 only one man besides myself near them, and back 

 into the same coppice where we killed our first ; and 

 here No. 2 shared the fate of his companion, being 

 blown up by the pace. 



The Craven country I had known previously, by 

 experience, to hold a poor scent, unless in very 

 wet weather, and from the continuity of wood- 

 lands, with short running foxes, requires an active, 

 energetic huntsman to show sport. Hounds also 

 become slack from their feet being cut and bruised 

 by the flints, which prevent them carrying a head, 

 as in more favoured districts. Villebois, although 



