A RECESS. 63 



clue in their blind ride. Hounds must be somewhere ; and the 

 earliest gallopers were now in a position to scan the slope in 

 front and to the left. Not the white gleam of a hound's 

 back, nor the wave of a stern, to catch the straining eye. 

 Bending to the right, the horsemen crossed the brow — and 

 there, immediately beneath them, was the pack, just recovering 

 from an entanglement with a frightened herd of bullocks. 

 Two farmers, Mr. Marshall and Mr. Henton, jun., were the first 

 to reach the hounds, and the closest to keep with them — as 

 they sped over the good grazing farm whereon the fox, and the 

 latter gentleman, were both bred, and were both now doino - 

 credit to themselves. Nor was familiarity with the fields and 

 gates of any great assistance to ease the way — for the line of 

 the chase was by no means one the rider would choose in a 

 quiet morning's shepherding. Reynard, having found his birth- 

 place closed against him, and having journeyed so far down a 

 strong breeze, had nothing for it but to go on whether lie liked 

 or not. For, though there might be no point for him in front, 

 his foes were too close to him upon the wind to allow of his 

 turning back. So, as with the Walton Thorns fox, in the final 

 run of last season and over the same ground, he held forward 

 over the open country in a purposeless fashion past the left of 

 Hoby. To the clump of trees that form so prominent a land- 

 mark between that village and Ashfordby, was twenty minutes. 

 And here came the first delay, under rain and rainbow — followed 

 ten minutes later, as they neared Ashfordby, by a complete 

 collapse, in a storm of hail and snow and wind that nearly 

 swept men from their saddles. But for this wild tempest, the 

 run might have taken high rank — for hounds were on capital 

 terms with their fox, and he was already driven far from any 

 shelter. 



A RECESS. 



Tuesday, December 5. — We woke to find the vale of the 

 W r reake white with snow ; but thought but little of it as from 



