242 A MONTH TN THE FORESTS OF FRANCE. 



chase, and headed him back." He then got the 

 hounds together, who were not at all on good terms 

 with their scent, and the instant he did so, and 

 cheered them on again, the cry freshened into a roar. 

 As I have said before, four couples of French hounds 

 will make nearly as much cry as twenty couples of 

 English ones ; and for this reason — they have not 

 only heavier tongues, but they have a way of their 

 own of doubling them in a sort of continuous outcry ; 

 hence, as they never go fast enough to interfere 

 with their powers of speech, it is easy enough to 

 account for the noise they make. 



The cry then turned directly to me, and it was 

 evident that the shot I had heard at the boar, (for 

 I knew by the air on the horns that was the 

 species of animal we were after,) had put the 

 hounds on the very best terms, and they were 

 turning very short, and, as I thought, at times in 

 view. On two or three occasions they came up 

 to the verge of the woods near me, but as often the 

 boar refused to show himself; so, feeling sure he did 

 not mean to break, I entered the wood and closed in 

 with the hounds. I then ascertained that the hounds 

 were really running hard, for their cry was eager, 

 and they were all together; but it seemed to me 

 that, though running hard, or clamorous around 



