THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT 



opposite side to that from which he had left it, he 

 went through without stopping. The splendid 

 chorus of the hounds through the covert put those 

 who had been left once more on terms. They little 

 knew that the loss of that first ring was a blessings 

 in disguise. Those who were, as they thought, out 

 of the fun, merely saved themselves three miles of 

 stiff going. This time the fox was fairly away, but 

 there lay before the pursuers the Brinkworth brook. 

 Some charged it, some refused, and some went in. 

 Lord Worcester and a few followers saved their 

 horses a little, and obtained a slight pull by going 

 over the bridge. Of those who were weeded out 

 at the brook few saw hounds again. At the village 

 of Brinkworth hounds threw up their heads. Giving 

 them time to make their own cast, Lord Worcester 

 watched them closely, and then, with a low whistle, 

 quietly cast them on. Steadily and without flash 

 they settled on the line again, and now were running 

 hard for Somerford Common, a famous covert well 

 known to followers of the V.W.H. Hounds never 

 paused or wavered on the Common, for the fox had 

 gone right through. Those who had eased their 

 horses found themselves in the rear. Either be- 

 cause he felt hounds too close, or perhaps meeting 

 some obstacle, the fox twisted about here, but 

 hounds (led by Sexton, Sentinel, and Ganymede, 

 while Galloper strove hard to the front for the 

 credit of his Yorkshire blood — he was by Lane 

 Fox's Gainer out of Stately) were never off the 



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