Notable Runs 75 



of the past. Nobody disdained getting down to 

 tear away the binders and force a passage through 

 the fences, whilst in this conjunction to keep one's 

 place in any fashion, however ignominious, was all 

 that could be essayed. 



Over an agonizing turnip-field they crawled, 

 hounds and horses all reduced to a trot, when 

 suddenly, to the universal relief, Lord Hardman 

 espied a stiff, black, mud-bespattered object dragging 

 its weary limbs along the side of a thick hedgerow. 



" Tally-ho ! tally-ho ! yonder he goes ! Forrard, 

 forrard, little bitches ! Have at him, my beauties," 

 yelled Lord Hardman delightedly, cheering on the 

 pack with all the strength of which his lungs were 

 capable. 



A bloodthirsty chorus echoed his words, as each 

 bristling hound sped murderously after the failing 

 quarry. Even the poor exhausted horses plucked 

 up fresh courage, and at the invigorating sound 

 pricked their ears and broke into a canter. 



There is always something magnificent in the 

 courage of despair — something which, whenever 

 and wherever it is exhibited, calls forth human 

 sympathy. 



Finding that his last moment had come, this 

 grand old dog fox, as straight-necked and as bold a 

 fellow as ever stood up before hounds, turned and 

 faced the foe like a lion. For one brief second he 

 remained in this position, with his yellow eyes 

 gleaming fiercely and his parched black lips drawn 

 tightly back, showing two rows of sharp shining 

 white teeth. Then, with a convulsive death-agony, 

 he buried them deep in the shoulder of the foremost 

 hound. A minute afterwards he rolled over and 

 over on the ground, a rigid and motionless mass. 



Hastily Lord Hardman jumped from Red Rover's 



