Рита Браун: Crazy Like A Fox

Edward and Tedi Bancroft,in their eighties, are stalwarts of The Jefferson Hunt and dear friends of Sister’s. Evangelista, Edward’s deceased sister, had an affair with Weevil; although hushed up, it caused uproar in the Bancroft family.

Ben Sidellis the county sheriff who is learning to hunt and loves it. Nonni, his horse, takes good care of him. He learns far more about the county by hunting than if he just stayed in his squad car. He dates Margaret DuCharme, M.D., an unlikely pairing that works.

Cynthia Skiff Canehunts Crawford’s outlaw pack. He’s gone through three other huntsmen but she can handle him. Sam Lorillard helps, too.

Monica Greenberg,a dazzler, rides sidesaddle and is organizing a sidesaddle exhibit for the Museum of Hounds and Hunting. She is patient and kind, just loves her horse.

Cindy Chandlerowns Foxglove Farm, one of The Jefferson Hunt’s fixtures. She’s not much in evidence in this volume but, like all landowners, she is important.

Victor Harrisis Tootie’s father. Jerk doesn’t begin to cover it.

THE AMERICAN FOXHOUNDS

Lighter than the English foxhound, with a somewhat slimmer head, they have formidable powers of endurance and remarkable noses.

Corais the head female. What she says goes.

Asais the oldest hunting male hound, and he is wise.

Dianais steady, in the prime of her life, and brilliant. There’s no other word for her but “brilliant.”

Dasheris Diana’s littermate and often overshadowed by his sister, but he sticks to business and is coming into his own.

Dragonis also a littermate of the above D hounds. He is arrogant, can lose his concentration and tries to lord it over other hounds.

Dreamboatis of the same breeding as Diana, Dasher, and Dragon, but a few years younger.

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Hounds take the first initial of their mother’s name. Following are hounds ordered from older to younger. No unentered hounds are included in this list. An unentered hound is not yet on the Master of Foxhounds stud books and not yet hunting with the pack. They are in essence kindergartners. Trinity, Tinsel, Trident, Ardent, Thimble, Twist, Tootsie, Trooper, Taz, Tatoo, Parker, Pickens, Zane, Zorro, Zandy, Giorgio, Pookah, Pansy, Audrey, Aero, Angle, Aces.

THE HORSES

Keepsake,TB/QH, Bay; Lafayette,TB, Gray; Rickyroo,TB, Bay; Aztec,TB, Chestnut; Matador,TB, Flea-bitten Gray. All are Sister’s geldings. Showboat, Hojo, Gunpowder,and Kilowatt,all TBs, are Shaker’s horses.

Outlaw,QH, Buckskin, and Magellan,TB, Dark Bay (which is really black), are Betty’s horses.

Wolsey,TB, Flaming Chestnut, is Gray’s horse. His red coat gave him his name for Cardinal Wolsey.

Iota,TB, Bay, is Tootie’s horse.

Matchplayand Midshipmanare young Thoroughbreds of Sister’s that are being brought along. Takes good time to make a solid foxhunter. Sister never hurries a horse or a hound in its schooling.

THE FOXESReds

Aunt Netty,older, lives at Pattypan Forge. She is overly tidy and likes to give orders.

Uncle Yancyis Aunt Netty’s husband but he can’t stand her anymore. He lives at the Lorillard farm, has all manner of dens and cubbyholes.

Charlenelives at After All Farm. She comes and goes.

Targetis Charlene’s mate but he stays at After All. The food supply is steady and he likes the other animals.

Earlhas the restored stone stables at Old Paradise all to himself. He has a den in a stall but also makes use of the tack room. He likes the smell of the leather.

Sargeis half-grown. He found a den in big boulders at Old Paradise thanks to help from a doe. It’s cozy with straw, old clothing bits, and even a few toys.

Jameslives behind the mill at Mill Ruins. He is not very social but from time to time will give the hounds a good run.

Ewaldis a youngster who was directed to a den in an outbuilding during a hunt. Poor fellow didn’t know where he was. The outbuilding at Mill Ruins will be a wonderful home as long as he steers clear of James.

Grays

Cometknows everybody and everything. He lives in the old stone foundation part of the rebuilt log-and-frame cottage at Roughneck Farm.

Inkyis so dark she’s black and she lives in the apple orchard across from the above cottage. She knows the hunt schedule and rarely gives hounds a run. They can just chase someone else.

Georgiamoved to the old schoolhouse at Foxglove Farm.

Grenvillelives at Mill Ruins, in the back in a big storage shed. This part of the estate is called Shootrough.

Grislives at Tollbooth Farm in the Chapel Cross area. He’s very clever and can slip hounds in the batting of an eye.

Hortensiaalso lives at Mill Ruins. She’s in another outbuilding. All are well constructed and all but the big hay sheds have doors that close, which is wonderful in bad weather.

THE BIRDS

Athena,the great horned owl, is two-and-a-half-feet tall with a four-foot wingspan. She has many places where she will hole up but her true nest is in Pattypan Forge. It really beats being in a tree hollow. She’s gotten spoiled.

Bitsyis eight-and-a-half-inches tall with a twenty-inch wingspan. Her considerable lungs make up for her tiny size as she is a screech owl, aptly named. Like Athena, she’ll never live in a tree again because she’s living in the rafters of Sister’s stable. Mice come in to eat the fallen grain. Bitsy feels like she’s living in a supermarket.

St. Just,a foot and a half in height with a surprising wingspan of three feet, is a jet-black crow. He hates foxes but is usually sociable with other birds.

SISTER’S HOUSE PETS

Raleigh,a sleek, highly intelligent Doberman, likes to be with Sister. He gets along with the hounds, walks out with them. He tries to get along with the cat, but she’s such a snob.

Roosteris a Harrier bequeathed to Sister by a dear friend. He likes riding in the car, walking out with hounds, watching everybody and everything. The cat drives him crazy.

Golliwog,or “Golly,” is a long-haired calico. All other creatures are lower life-forms. She knows Sister does her best, but still. Golly is Queen of All She Surveys.

SOME USEFUL TERMS

Away.A fox has gone away when he has left the covert. Hounds are away when they have left the covert on the line of the fox.

Brush.The fox’s tail.

Burning scent.Scent so strong or hot that hounds pursue the line without hesitation.

Bye day.A day not regularly on the fixture card.

Cap.The fee nonmembers pay to hunt for that day’s sport.

Carry a good head.When hounds run well together to a good scent, a scent spread wide enough for the whole pack to feel it.

Carry a line.When hounds follow the scent. This is also called working a line.

Cast.Hounds spread out in search of scent. They may cast themselves or be cast by the huntsman.