. Country walks for little folks . 63 THE HUNTSMAN AND HOUNDS. HiiRE is one of the hunters with his pack, justissuing from a gentlemans park; and there sitsa peacock on the wall, looking over. These, Isuppose, are fox-hounds, and are to proceed tosome place where it has been agreed that poorReynard is fo be started for the days sport;small sport to him, poor fellow! for he has allthe terrors, the toils, and the agonies whichperhaps we should feel if hunted to the hunting is practised merely as recreation,and not for the sake of ridding us of a mischiev-ous animal; nay, his life is of
. Country walks for little folks . 63 THE HUNTSMAN AND HOUNDS. HiiRE is one of the hunters with his pack, justissuing from a gentlemans park; and there sitsa peacock on the wall, looking over. These, Isuppose, are fox-hounds, and are to proceed tosome place where it has been agreed that poorReynard is fo be started for the days sport;small sport to him, poor fellow! for he has allthe terrors, the toils, and the agonies whichperhaps we should feel if hunted to the hunting is practised merely as recreation,and not for the sake of ridding us of a mischiev-ous animal; nay, his life is often spared at theend of the chase, that he may aliord anotherdays diversion. Stag-hunting, in England, is also performedonly as recreation; for the deer, bred in parks,could be easily obtained for use without anybustle of the kind. All these sports are rathercruel; but those who need relief from profes-sional pursuits, or from the weariness of unoc-cupied minds, require some exercise of this sortto keep them 65 HUNTING THE HARE. Neither the hare nor any other animals wouldbe coursed and run down in the way that theyare, if they had no more activity and speed thana donkey or a pig. It is because they run sofast as nearly to equal the powers of horses anddogs in pursuit, that they afford a range to theactivities of the determined sportsman. Thetimid hare, surprised on her cover by the dogs,bounds from the spot with the swiftness of thewind, and at first has the advantage of her pur-suers; when hard pressed, she reports to strata-gem, and doubles, or turns suddenly in a newdirection. But the dogs, whose sense of smellingis exquisite, trace out her path by the scent, andthrough herbage and thickets pursue her untilher strength is quite exhausted; it is mercy thento end her sufferings by the gun.
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