FROM BR AUKS TON GORSE AT LAST. 219 



•was far more savoury to the delicate nostrils of the too sensitive 

 hunter of the Shires, and was accepted, if not with ravenous 

 appetite, at least with less show of nausea. 



As I ride the prairie in summer (an occupation quite as 

 conducive to complete abstraction of thought as tramping the 

 pavement of Pall Mall in August), I shall often leaven the 

 dulness of solitude by turning over my mental scrap-book at 

 •the pages relating to Braunston Brook. See now — for the life 

 of me I could not tell you who, nor would if I could — but I 

 •can still hear the hearty voice of some familiar comrade in the 

 game. "All right, old fellow, I'll give you a lead ! " So he did, 

 but the angle of ejectment was wrong — he went up-stream 

 instead of across — and he wore such a nice new pink. Another 

 (he in black) accepting the lead with gladness close and prompt 

 — went upstream too ! " And the first lion thought the next a 

 bore." He said so too, and very loudly. There I left them, 

 roaring lustily, almost in each other's arms, for " Two's company, 

 .three is none." Would you have had me spoil the party ? 

 Flimsy report tells me that one dead lion was still in his place 

 when the chase drove back by the spot half an hour later. Was 

 it, I wonder, brought about by the wondrous kindness of fellow- 

 feeling that, while warming my chilled limbs at this evening's 

 fire, my eye should have been caught by this notice in the 

 •county paper ; " A. P. Licensed Horse Slaughterer. Dead and 

 worn-out horses and other animals fetched away on the shortest 

 notice. All transactions cash. Best price given of any man 

 in the Midland Counties. Telegrams paid for." Herein is to 

 be found the hope that in some small degree we may yet be 

 enabled to lighten the crushing expense of the Sport of Kings. 



But this was only the play of The Brook in its first act. 

 Acts II., III., and IV. were yet in store. Fifty men were over 

 the streamlet now, on the fly ; fifty more, nearly as speedily, by 

 a bridge ; and hounds were running gloriously over the wide 

 sound slope below Flecknoe. I wondered (the ego must con- 

 tinue for narrative's sake) why a strong and forward section 

 should bend suddenly in their course, and dart leftward for 

 the low ground again. Hounds were bearing agaiu towards 



