six or eight miles, although no two couple were at all
matched in weight or power.

At length we cast off into as likely a looking cover as ever hound was
put through, and in ten minutes after we received good information from
a dependable quarter that Reynard was there or thereabouts; the scent
was, judging by the tongue, not a very warm one, but our huntsman
appeared confident that all was right.

In a few minutes the cry grew more cheery, the lively dogs more anxious;
and whilst poking through the cover, I saw the fox, a grey one, stealing
outward, and tally-ho'd him.

The dogs were wide abroad, but all busy as ants; the leaders confident,
and showing no signs of being at fault; the old man declined to hark
'em-to, preferring that they should find their own way: this, after a
good deal of doubling, they certainly did; an old hound hit the right
scent, by inspiration as it were; and went away to it as straight as a
rifle-ball, and almost as quick; taking out of this cover across a
small meadow that divided it from another, into which the fox struck as
quickly as possible.

It became evident, after a little dodging about, that Reynard had made
up his mind to trust to these neighbour covers for safety; the dogs
could not get him off: we viewed the rascal several times; and at one
time I hoped he had resolved to change his plan and go-away, for he
dashed from the cover-edge and tried his speed with the dogs, leading
them gallantly for a few minutes; but the beast had no real game in his
nature, for he doubled back for another corner of his bush.

Thus he ran and thus we rode from cover to cover, nearly always in the
same line, for full two hours and a half; when the cur being brought
fairly to a stand-still, was caught and killed near to where he was
first tally-ho'd. The only interest afforded by this sort of chase arose
from the extreme tenacity with which the hounds held on to the trail as
they ran their prey through all his doubles in covers closely set with
trees, and having an undergrowth of thick brushwood and bramble, all but
impassable.

I was also much amused by observing the behaviour of two young English
hounds, that had been imported this season only, by Captain Stockton,
from the kennel of Sir Harry Goodricke, and marked H. G. on the
off-side. The slut took to this rough work as keenly as any of the old
hounds, and was well up with the leading dogs throughout; but the dog
would not face the cover; h