92 THE MASTER OF THE HOUNDS. 



I'll bet you an even five pounds he don't beat Will Beauchamp 

 or Burnett." 



" Done, Markham, and I'll make it ten, if you like." 



" Take him at his word," cried Sir Lucius Gwynne, who 

 overheard the conversation, " and I'll go halves with you." 



" Done, then, Vernon," exclaimed the Captain ; " Gwynne's 

 witness to the bet." 



" And now," said Sir Lucius, " I'll bet you two to one on 

 Beauchamp against the great Leicestershire man. Will you 

 have it, Yernon "? " 



" No, I thank you," was the reply ; " I shall take no more 

 on that event to-day ; but who is to decide ? " 



" We will have Burnett," said Gwynne ; " you can choose 

 Tyler, or any other first-flight man you prefer to him." 



All being now mounted and ready for action, the hounds 

 were thrown into the evergreens near the house, and in a 

 moment the fox broke across the lawn. Dashing through the 

 stable-yard below and some out-buildings, which screened him 

 from view, he immediately sank into the vale, taking his line 

 through the most formidable fences of the whole country. Will 

 Beauchamp and his whipper-in Charley were with the hounds, 

 as usual, but had not crossed more than three fields before the 

 great hero was down upon them, at full speed, and going at a 

 small brook as if a river were in his way. 



" He'll catch it there," cried Charley to his master, as the 

 great squire and his horse went floundering into the stream. 

 " I should have thought, sir, a man of his business habits had 

 know'd what boggy ground meant afore to-day ; but come 

 along, sir, there's plenty to help him out ; " and, sooth to say, 

 there were about a dozen of the " finest fellows in the world " 

 in the same predicament, with their horses up to their hocks, 

 struggling in the mire. Sir Francis, however, had the sense to 

 avoid the trap, and followed in the track of Will Beauchamp, 

 who, with Charley, kept the lead with the hounds, until they 

 ran into their fox, in an open grass field, after a burst of thirty- 

 five minutes, without a check. Sir Francis, Tyler, Gwynne, 

 and Fred Beauchamp were the four next up, and close behind 

 them came the lion of the day, hot and furious. 



" Confound that bog ! '' he exclaimed ; " it spoiled my start 

 completely, and you know, Burnett, five minutes lost are hard 

 to recover in a quick thing like this ; but I'll take care the 

 hounds don't get out of my sight with our second fox." 



" Don't make too sure of that," replied Sir Francis ; " we 



