78 THE LIFE OF A FOX.

the former way of giving up hunting a fox, and
going to find another. On some occasions, when
I have been found and hunted by the hounds, and
fancied that I was safe, as I had done on previous
occasions whenever I could not hear them, I was -
surprised to hear them, after a short time, again
hunting on the line I had come. I was once found
by the hounds in a covert close to Fox Hall, and
after they had pursued me closely for a few
miles, I, in consequence of there being a line
of dry fallows, left them far behind; so that I
had given up all idea of being disturbed again
by them that day, and stopped in Mr. Hope’s
plantation; I had been but a short time there
when they again approached, but slowly, and
I heard the following words addressed to Mr.
Smith, who was hunting his hounds: “ How
much longer shall you go on with this cold
scent? Don’t you think you can find another
fox?” The reply was, “I shall hunt this as
long as a hound will own the scent. We shall
get up to him by and by, and kill him too.”

On hearing this it was time to be off. I