The Marquis 



hoarse,waving his crop, and trying to keep him off, 

 but this was the Marquis's day, and he hung the 

 Master up at the "in and out" at BUndman's 

 Lane, and left him swearing with rage while some- 

 one opened a gate, before they lost the hounds 

 completely. The fox was doubling back now and 

 Fullerton on the gray with Williams close behind 

 him had caught up again with the first flight and 

 the Marquis now in the lead. They came hammer- 

 ing down altogether, a steep plowed field on the 

 side of a hill, at a four-foot draw-bar and ditch at 

 the bottom, and the Marquis led the best man over 

 by a dozen lengths or more. He judged it, with 

 the experience of many years, to exactly the proper 

 instant, rose in the air, clearing the fence by the 

 eighth of an inch, just leaving the marks of his 

 hoofs on the farthermost side of the ditch. He 

 looked back as he galloped, to watch the gray 

 take it — a wild flying leap in the air, with no 

 proper finish at all ; and then came the brown geld- 

 ing, with no courage to try it, but forced under 

 whip and spur. He took it crazily, side-wise, 

 and landed hind legs in the ditch, then scrambled 

 out frightened half out of his wits. At the next 

 fence the Marquis increased his speed and rode 

 Fullerton off, and left him swearing and shaking 

 his fist, while Williams, who had seen it all, rocked 

 in his saddle with mirth. 

 25 



