in all directions; though a famous grazing-place for the hardier breeds of sheep and cattle, it was eminently favourable for hares, who found dry lying at all seasons on the hillsides, and were possessed of extraordinary stamina. At no other coursing ground which I have visited was the percentage of kills so small; but puss had one big pull in her favour, and this often gave her a means of escape when she was hard pressed. It was as follows.
The enclosures were divided by stone walls, built up to a great height, and having often a sheep rail placed on the top, about a foot or more above the coping stones. At intervals, however, small holes had been made at the bottom of the walls (these are called smouts—doubtless a corruption of smeuse—in the North country), and while puss knew these places, and invariably bolted through when she got a chance, the greyhounds were unable to follow, but often struggled for a moment at the hole before drawing back to leap the wall. This of course allowed the hare a second law, and she would often double down the side of the wall and take advantage of the next 'smout' to return into the original field. A certain fluky element was thus introduced into the High Law coursing; but that was of no account with the farmers, whose sympathies, by
