136 A MONTH IN THE FORESTS OF FRANCE. 



They were " to convince me " that morning of the 

 " error of my national prejudice ! " 



Off we started, myself and Coco, fresh and in im- 

 mense expectation of a rouse at the very lair of the 

 vieiio! sanglieVf when, on coming to a particular spot, 

 all hounds in couples, we stopped in a stubble-field 

 adjoining the forest, at the very place where the 

 huntsman had marked the boar in. As soon as we 

 came there, two or three of the so-called steadiest 

 hounds were let go, who, of course, bolted off as usual 

 in full cry, to excite their masters, and, in anticipa- 

 tion of the boar being at hand, to give him timely 

 notice of their coming, as it would be dangerous to 

 pull him too rudely out of bed. I am convinced that 

 much of this babbling arises from fear of rushing too 

 quickly on the boar, as well as from the custom of 

 couples. At last, after the noise consequent on sudden 

 liberty was over, the hounds settled to what in fox- 

 hunting would be called a '' stale drag " or stale line, 

 and evidently, though with too much noise, carried it 

 on through the wood ; the instant they did this and 

 maintained it, all the other hounds were slipped, 

 who, of course, went off with a fuller cry still ; and 

 then old and young seemed to get together. With 

 such a boar, and on such positive assertions from the 

 huntsman, of course I thought it was all right, and 



