MOUNTAIN FOXES. 113 



had gone, and were still in full cry. By this 

 time half the pack had fallen off, and the echoes 

 that rang among the mountains in the moon- 

 lit night, as the hounds passed and repassed 

 through the gorges, were magnificent. Soon 

 the prolonged deep baying was changed into 

 short sharp barks — a sure indication that the 

 dogs were viewing their game. In a short 

 time all was still, and then, perhaps, ended the 

 life of the toughest old fox that ever ran the 

 fells. The hounds returned, showing by their 

 torn faces that reynard, even when run down, 

 had fought desperately. Many of the pack, 

 however, were lost or exhausted, and did not 

 return until next day ; one, completely worn 

 out, crawled from the hills after a week, and 

 three were found to be " crag-fast." Rescuing 

 these is always a dangerous business, and on 

 this occasion it was performed by a party of 

 shepherds with the aid of ropes. I have set 

 down the above story as it is told by the shep- 

 herds, though certain of the facts seem almost 

 incredible. 



Here is another actual incident of mountain 

 fox-hunting. A man named Dixon fell from 

 an overhanging precipice three hundred feet in 



