130 THE LIFE OF A FOX.

thought, to my having overtaken some cattle,
and to too much delay in holding on the hounds ;
and I escaped.

- It appeared to me that these hounds had at the
time rather too much flesh, though shortly after-
wards the fault was mended; for I never was
pressed more by any pack in my life. Every
hound seemed to go as if he had the leading
scent. All came nearly abreast for several fields,
and they were close to me when I again took
refuge in a drain. The extraordinary scent just
described induces me to relate the events of that
day from the beginning. A remark was made,
before the hounds had thrown off, by an old
sportsman, as follows. It happened that several
coverts were drawn by the hounds without their
finding a fox, although it was notorious that
foxes had been on every former day most abun-
dant there; on hearing this, the gentleman said,
«J have often observed that on good scenting
days foxes are not to be found, even where they
are known to abound as they do here.”

“ How do you account for that >”? was asked.