90 THE LIFE OF A FOX.

in order to lame me, and one wished to cut
off my brush; and that it was not done was
a great disappointment to the wretch. I was
turned out at only about a hundred yards from
the pack, but contrived to reach a hedge just as
one of the leading hounds had got close to me,
when I turned short to the left down the narrow
ditch. The hounds all sprang over the fence, and
then, not seeing me there, fortunately turned
first to the right; and before they had found
out that I had gone down the ditch, I had
got out on the other side again, and ran
to a corner, when I turned through it again
into another cross-hedge. By these means I
got clear off, before they had another sight of
me; for they overran my line of scent a little
when they got back on the down on my track,
I well recollect hearing the huntsman calling
loudly to the whipper-in to get on, and head
the fox from going to the woods; but he,
poor thing, was in a state of too much excite-
ment to understand what was meant, and even
if he had understood, it would have been a