io6 The Harkaway Hunt Ball. 



night in the town, and those lucky ones who had elected 

 to stay where they were — including Charles Wildoats, now 

 an engaged man (for Miss Mouser's surmise confided to 

 Mr. Grimboy turned out to be correct), and just then 

 occupied in playing nap and drinking gin-sling with a 

 select company of friends as noisy as himself, in old 

 Sammy Shrub's sanctum — congratulate themselves that 

 they have not a long drive in the snow before them. 



And those ballgoers snoring away comfortably after 

 their exertions in the cosy old-fashioned bedrooms of the 

 Daisyfield Arms and the other Bullerton hotels, certainly 

 have the pull over their homegoing friends ; for numerous 

 are the disasters to be heard of the next day to some of the 

 latter division. 



Miss Mouser's horses fell over a donkey fast asleep in 

 the middle of the road — the only one not damaged or 

 frightened in any way being the donkey. Jock Merri- 

 man, better known as the Bullerton Post-boy, and the 

 independent Jimmy of the neighbourhood, managed to 

 upset Captain Glanders, Mrs. Glanders, and the two 

 Misses Glanders, into a deep ditch, three miles from home, 

 and, the pole being broken, to say nothing of the traces, 

 the unhappy quartette had to make the best of their way 

 home on foot. 



The Captain's language, needless to say, was quite equal 

 to the occasion, and his equanimity was not improved by 

 Jock informing him that he had upset 'ould Admiral 

 Trimmer that night week, and Major and the Honourable 

 Mrs. Mousetrap the week before that. " They're both on 

 'em greeter folk than yNOlyoii be," said Jock coolly lighting 

 his pipe, "and they didna say hef the hard words as 

 you hev." The Captain walked on after his family, all 



