THE SQUIRE AND BARONET FORGET THEIR AGE. 13 



left the wood, when Mr. Beauchamp suddenly exclaimed, " Stop, 

 Markham, the hounds are at fault, and I hear Charley's holloa 

 and rate, hark back again. Just as I feared — those coffee- 

 housing cigar fellows have headed the fox back into covert. 

 Ay, ay, now they are at him again ; he is still holding to the 

 outskirts of the wood, but the horsemen prevent his breaking. 

 jSTow, Markham, steady a moment, they are turning, and we 

 shall see them cross the drive before us. Look, yonder he 

 goes," as at a couple of bounds the fox cleared the drive ; and 

 with a scream which made the welkin ring, the old squire 

 rushed to the spot, and, cap in hand, cheered his darlings on 

 the scent. 



"Now, Markham, we must forget our age, and stick to 

 him ; this fox means mischief, and will break at the lower end ; 

 come on, now is our time, we have them all to ourselves, and 

 there is a capital line of gates up to the furze hills, which is his 

 point." Clapping spurs, to their horses, the two old sportsmen 

 bustled along down the nearest drive, which led to the bottom 

 of the covert, and when they reached the gate, the pack was 

 streaming away over the second large grass field, with heads up 

 and sterns down, running as if they could see him. 



" By Jove, what a pace, Beauchamp ! we shall never catch 

 them." 



" Come along," roared the squire, and bang he went over 

 the first bullfinch. " Now for the gates — here we are, it's plain 

 sailing now, and turf all the way. Give Hotspur his head, I 

 say ; put him along ; " and fast and furious went the old 

 squire, screaming and spurring as if in the hey-day of his 

 youth. 



" Hah ! hah ! " laughed Sir Lionel, " this is glorious fun ! 

 the dandies won't sneer at the old fogies to-day, nor the Leices- 

 tershire men override the hounds. But here comes Will, I 

 declare, with half a dozen fellows striving for the lead ; but it 

 won't do — Battler holds his own, and has the speed of them all. 

 Bang, bang, over the gates, here he comes. Ah ! Will, you've 

 caught us at last, my boy." 



" Glad to see you, sir, riding so well to-day ; you gave us 

 the slip at starting with the governor ; but keep up the ball, 

 Sir Lionel, now you have set it going. You won't be over- 

 ridden yet awhile." 



" Go along, Will, never mind me ; Beauchamp and I will 

 fight on as long as we can." 



"Well done, my dear dad," cried his son, as he rode bv his 



