TREATMENT OE HOUNDS. 75 



twisted in impossible knots upon their couples like 

 eels hampered on a night line. 



" I hope there will not be another melee,^* I sighed ; 

 " two more fights and flocpcpincrs such as this will beat 

 the few hounds we have, without the aid of wolf or 

 boar." 



At last, orders were given to proceed to the spot in 

 the forest where the huntsman at break of day was 

 supposed, by the aid of a '^ limier," or sure hound in a 

 line, to have harboured a litter of wolves ; and when 

 we halted, of course I expected the hounds to be un- 

 coupled — instead of which, two poor old thin and 

 tottering skeletons were cautiousl}" let go, and with 

 them only one huntsman proceeded to draw a thousand 

 acres of wood, every yard of it the thickest and finest 

 lying for a fox. 



When a French huntsman encourages his hounds 

 to draw, he makes a noise just like I have heard our 

 drovers do when driving cattle, thus ; ^^ How ! how ! 

 how ! how ! " the word four times repeated, and its 

 pronunciation prolonged. Well, this huntsman was 

 soon lost sight of; and though he could be heard a 

 long way ofi" in his imaginary draw, I felt convinced 

 that the two old hounds never went a yard from his 

 heels, or, if they did, it was to lie down and scratch. 

 So seeing the ineffectual search, but hearing the 



