FOX-HUNTING IN VIRGINIA. 530 



arriving there three or four minutes before the sun rose. 

 We found most of those expected already at the spot, and 

 the others arrived almost simultaneously with our party. 



After brief and simple morning salutations, and a couple 

 of minutes' chat, my father announced all ready, and the 

 hounds were cast off. In less than three minutes, TJrummer 

 challenged, and the whole pack (fifteen in all) closed in and 

 took the trail. In about two minutes, and before we had 

 advanced three hundred yards into the field, the invincible 

 old Red rose over the rag- weed, and took a deliberate view 

 of the forces advancing against him. "Tally-ho!" rang out 

 in chorus from the horsemen, and the pack burst into full 

 cry, as the gallant quarry bounded away on the race for his 

 life, with not more than one hundred yards start of the 

 hounds. 



The Fox made direct for the upper end of the cliffs, 

 where a man and horse could not pass between the rocks 

 and the water, and where, for half a mile down-stream, the 

 running would be over rocks and through dense timber. 

 As the course to reach this point was up-stream, whether 

 the Fox would make a short turn, and adopt the usual tac- 

 tics of breaking away down-stream, we could not know. 

 If we rode to the edge of the cliffs, and the chase turned 

 down- stream, we should gain nothing; for half a mile 

 below, a rocky ravine, impassable by horses, made up from 

 the creek, about three hundred yards, to a spring in the 

 field. We therefore held our position for a moment, to 

 await developments. The wily Fox, fully realizing the 

 importance of increasing his lead by taking advantage of 

 the rough ground, turned short down-stream at the head of 

 the cliffs, as was instantly detected by the practiced ears of 

 my father and his friend, Mr. Edward Jenkins, who was as 

 great a man at all points afield as ever bestrode a horse. 

 , At this. point, the echoing music of the pack was splendid 

 beyond description, and seemed equally inspiring to horse- 

 man and to horse. My father gave the word, and we 

 bounded away at speed for the spring a,t the head of the 

 ravine, expecting the chase to continue its sweep around 



