h a French horn at his back, strove hard to
keep the pack in sight, no easy task among the rough timber-covered
hills of Fairfax County.

On a hunting day the Farmer breakfasted by candlelight, generally upon
corn cakes and milk, and at daybreak, with his guests, Billy and the
hounds, sallied forth to find a fox. Washington always rode a good horse
and sometimes wore a blue coat, scarlet waistcoat, buckskin breeches,
top boots and velvet cap and carried a whip with a long thong. When a
fox was started none rode more gallantly or cheered more joyously than
did he and as a rule he was in at the death, for, as Jefferson asserts,
he was "the best horseman of his age, and the most magnificent figure
that could be seen on horseback."

The fox that was generally hunted was the gray fox, which was indigenous
to the country. After the Revolution the red fox began to be seen
occasionally. They are supposed to have come from the Eastern Shore, and
to have crossed Chesapeake Bay on the ice in the hard winter of 1779-80.
Custis tells of a famous black fox that would go ten or twenty miles
before the hounds and return to the starting-point ready for another run
next day. After many unsuccessful chases Billy recommended that the
black reynard be let alone, saying he was near akin to another sable
and wily character. Thereafter the huntsman was always careful to throw
off the hounds when he suspected that they were on the trail of the
black fox. This story may or may not be true; all that I can say is that
I have found no confirmation of it in Washington's own writings.

Neither have I found there any confirmation of the story that Mrs.
Washington and other ladies often rode out to see the hunts. Washington
had avenues cut through some of his woods to facilitate the sport and
possibly to make the riding easier for the ladies. Upon the whole,
however, I incline to the opinion that generally at least Martha stayed
at home visiting with lady friends, attending to domestic concerns and
superintending the preparation of delectable dishes for the hungry
hunters. I very much doubt whether she would have enjoyed seeing a
fox killed.

The French hounds were, at least at first, rather indifferent hunters.
"Went out after Breakfast with my hounds from France, & two which were
lent me, yesterday, by Mr. Mason," says the Farmer the day of the first
trial; "found a Fox which was run tolerably well by two of the Frh.
Bitches & one of Mason's Dogs