THE OLD STAGER 



that, if we followed him he thought he could 

 show us some of the fun. Needless to say, we 

 asseverated our desire to stick to him as tight as 

 wax. Forthwith he walked us clean away from 

 huntsmen and hounds and across several fields to 

 a little knoll, where, putting us behind a group of 

 trees, he told us to keep a sharp look-out. After 

 a bit we saw " the old stager," as Harris described 

 him, coming across the fields, and making straight 

 for us. " Don't breathe, lads," whispered Harris, 

 " till he's by." It was a thrilling moment as he 

 came up the rise, and, looking neither to the 

 right hand nor to the left, but intent only upon 

 how he could best save his brush, passed within 

 a few yards of us. Never before had I been so 

 close to a fox, and I shall never forget the sensation. 



Then out pops Harris, and, says he, "Now, 

 lads, a good 'un " ; and, led by the old veteran, 

 we gave a view-halloo that was enough, like 

 John Peel's, to " waken the dead." This brought 

 up horse and hound, and soon we were enjoying 

 the ever-delightful spectacle of a field in full cry. 

 We followed as fast as our young legs would carry 

 us, but Harris took one of is short cuts, and saw 

 more than we did. The hounds, ere they came up 

 with our particular fox, got on the scent of another, 

 and Harris, with his usual intuition of what was 

 going to happen, settled in his own mind that our 

 Reynard would make for a certain spinney, so he 

 posted himself on the line of route, and had the 

 satisfaction of seeing Master Fox quietly sneaking 

 towards " home, sweet home," 'neath the shelter 

 of a friendly hedgerow. 



Harris gave us a very hospitable send-off ere 



15 



