--the other French dogs shewed but little
disposition to follow--and with the second Dog of Mason's got upon
another Fox which was followed slow and indifferently by some & not at
all by the rest until the sent became so cold it cd. not be followed
at all."

Two days later the dogs failed again and the next time they ran two
foxes and caught neither, but their master thought they performed better
than hitherto, December 12th:

"After an early breakfast [my nephew] George Washington, Mr. Shaw and
Myself went into the Woods back of the Muddy hole Plantation a hunting
and were joined by Mr. Lund Washington and Mr. William Peake. About half
after ten O'clock (being first plagued with the Dogs running Hogs) we
found a fox near Colo Masons Plantation on little Hunting Creek (West
fork) having followed on his Drag more than half a Mile; and run him
with Eight Dogs (the other 4 getting, as was supposed after a Second
Fox) close and well for an hour. When the Dogs came to a fault and to
cold Hunting until 20 minutes after when being joined by the missing
Dogs they put him up afresh and in about 50 Minutes killed up in an open
field of Colo Mason's every Rider & every Dog being present at
the Death."

Eight days later the pack chased two foxes, but caught neither. The next
hunt is described as follows:

"Went a Fox hunting with the Gentlemen who came here yesterday with
Ferdinando Washington and Mr. Shaw, after a very early breakfast.--found
a Fox just back of Muddy hole Plantation and after a Chase for an hour
and a quarter with my Dogs, & eight couple of Doctor Smiths (brought by
Mr. Phil Alexander) we put him into a hollow tree, in which we fastened
him, and in the Pincushion put up another Fox which, in an hour and 13
Minutes was killed--We then after allowing the Fox in the hole half an
hour put the Dogs upon his Trail & in half a Mile he took to another
hollow tree and was again put out of it but he did not go 600 yards
before he had recourse to the same shift--finding therefore that he was
a conquered Fox we took the Dogs off, and came home to dinner."

[Illustration: The Flower Garden, By permission of the Mount Vernon
Ladies' Association]

Custis asserts that Washington took his last hunt in 1785, but in the
diary under date of December 22, 1787, I find that he went out with
Major George A. Washington and others on that day, but found nothing,
and that he took still another hunt in January, 1788, and chased a fox