268 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 
and in an instant start off full gallop until he overtook the 
pack, keeping in the run until the chase was ended. 
In the older southern States the modes of hunting the Gray 
Fox are much alike. To the sound of winding horns the 
neighboring gentry collect at an appointed place, each accom- 
panied by his favorite dogs, and usually a negro driver to 
manage them and keep them from starting deer. Mounted 
on fine horses, accustomed to the sport, they send in the 
hounds and await the start, chatting in a group, collected in 
some by-road, or some high spot of open ground from which 
they can hear every sound borne upon the breeze. Thickets 
on the edges of plantations, briar patches, and deserted 
fields covered with bloom-grass, are places where the fox is 
most likely to have his bed. The trail he has left behind him 
during his nocturnal rambles being struck, the hounds are 
encouraged by the voices of their drivers to as great speed as 
the devious course it leads them will permit. Now they scent 
the trail the fox has left along the field, when in search of 
partridges, meadow-larks, rabbits or field-mice; presently 
they trace his footsteps to some large log, from whence he has 
jumped on to a worm-fence, and after walking a little way 
on it, leaped a ditch and skulked towards the borders of a 
marsh. Through all his crooked ways the sagacious hounds 
unravel his trail, until he is suddenly roused, perchance from 
a dreamy vision of fat hens, geese or turkeys, and with a 
general cry, the whole pack, led on by the staunchest and 
best dogs, open-mouthed and eager, join the chase. The 
startled fox makes two or three rapid doublings, and then sud- 
denly flies to a cover, perhaps a quarter of a mile off, and 
sometimes thus puts the hounds off the scent for a few minutes, 
as when cool and at first starting his scent is not so strong as 
that of the Red Fox. : 
After the chase has continued for a quarter of an hour or 
50, and the animal is somewhat heated, his track is followed 
