The Washington times., 1933-12-01
Continued from Page 81

conveyances lining the roads to
see the event.
The hounds started off in fine
fettle, and over the first two
fences they went, with the field
following. The drag was laid
through small coppice and there
came calamity. A grey fox jumped
in front of the hounds and away
they went off to the top of the
mountain. Only one of the Dor
rowed hounds had an owrer on
horseback, the other owners fol-
lowing on foot to see the FUN and
hear the music.
There was no calling the hounds
In. The field gathered around and
held a consultation as to what
should be done. They could not
follow the hounds ana the drag
was at an end with the country
side out to see the run. They de-
cided the only thing to do was to
give the people a show, so one of
the field who knew where the drag
had been laid started off as lead
er and the field Solemnly finished
out the run with no hounds, End
IN the end. very few horses.
This was not a very suspicious
beginning, and nothing more was
done during that year. The next
year, however, those interested in
the sport got together and a small
subscription was raised. A place
was found to keep the hounds,
and by the fall of 1882 quite a re-
spectacle pack had been accumu-
lated. Various masters CT ether
hunts were generous in presenting
some excellent foundation stock
for the new pack. A ew hounds
were brought from other parts of
the country and some really excel
lent hounds were bought from
local fox hunters.
Meanwhile the hackers of the
new hunt spent great deal of
time interviewing farmers and
trying to find places where inter-
esting drag lines could be laid and
fox hunting carried on. They
found the task pleasure. For
generations, on any good clear
night, if one went outdoors and
listened attentiVely one coulo have
heard hounds running foxes. The
men who kept these hounds and
ran foxes did not run them so
much for the sake of the kill as
they did for love of the music o.
the hounds in the woods, and the
pleasure OF seeing them work. This
was great help to the new hunt.
Tor it meant the country people
understood pretty well what they
WHre driving at, and in nearly
every case were delighted to CO.
operate.
: Country Is Open
"A lot of land over which drags
can be laid is, of course, owned
by people interested in the hunt,
but just to show the spirit of the
countryside it may be well to cite
the case of the great horseshoe of
open country at the south end of
the valley near Failing Springs.
The landowners in this territory
learned of the panelling work in
other places and, calling on the
master, volunteered permission to
hunt over about 5000 acres. Sew
eral of the best dragS of the 1892
80 season were over this land.
y: The hunt realized right from
the start that actual fox hunting
was going to be difficult matter
and that dragS must provide most
Of the sport. Fortunately, the
guiding spirit was familiar with
the kind of dragS which have been
50 beautifully developed by Jack
son H. Boyd, M. F. H. of the
Moore county hounds, near South
efn Pines, N. C. Even the master
does not know where any particu-
lar drag is to go and the man who
lays the line initiates as closely
as he can the way a fox would
run. Such drag provides the
thrill Of the unexpected, and an
opportunity to see fox hounds
really working. This is the kind
Of drag that the Bath county
hounds have worked for.
In the Jackson River Valley,
Dinwiddie, Fassifern, Meadow
Lane, The Sherrard, Major
Dnnn's. Queens, Laws and Nc
Guffin's farms, covering all told
an area from $4,000 to 10000
acres, have been panelled. This
land consists of large river bot
toms with low hills adjoining.
The river bottoms are pillow or
grass, and the hills open timber.
"A drag can be held in this coun-
Try twice a week during the season
without once following the same
line. This is perhaps the best
drag country that the Bath county
hounds can use, but in the earlier
mentioned horseshoe of the Warm
Springs Valley there are great,
wide fields with post-and-rail or
snake fences where a good many
interesting lines have been laid.
In addition to these lines, the
country Immediately around Hot
Springs has been panelled and in
some ways is the most attractive
Of the lot. The jumps are trappy
and there is much variety-Some
Good galloping fields and some
lovely rides through woods.
~ Mostly Grey Foxes
- So much for the drags which
are rapidly getting to measure
up with any.
- Now for the fox hunting which
IN some fays is more interesting,
and is certainly different from
That in most hunting country.
In the first place the foxes that
al