Hoof Beats 



the low, undecided cries of a few hounds suddenly 

 come upon the scent, then all at once a deep 

 resonant throaty bay from twenty couples of 

 frenzied hounds that split the morning quietness 

 and waked the countryside for a mile around. 



The Marquis did not hesitate now, but bounded 

 forward, down across the broad meadow-land, 

 his long, free, thoroughbred manner of going, 

 which he got from the Torchlight side, carrying 

 him gracefully, fast as the eye could follow. 

 Gates he took in his stride without slacking speed ; 

 now he reached the top of the hill and went spring- 

 ing down the other side, his legs moving under him 

 like the pistons of a finely turned machine. He 

 had seen them there below him — the pack some- 

 what straggling now, a few taking the lead, but 

 all in full cry — and following closely after, a dozen 

 men or so riding, as the Marquis would have 

 expressed it, *'Hell for leather." Banging down 

 the hill he went after them, never checking his 

 speed except at a stone wall perhaps, where, for a 

 moment, he gathered his strength beneath him, 

 before he cleared it swiftly and landed running on 

 the other side, well in hand. 



A few minutes more and he had passed Williams 

 on the brown gelding, and ahead of him, he could 

 see, scattered over the field, Fullerton, urging his 

 flea-bitten gray, and perhaps a dozen others. The 



