64 TALES OF THE TURF AND THE CHASE. 



he was now short-leg in the Thornford Eleven, there was a time 

 when he was equally good in any part of the field, and he is still 

 to be relied on to face the fastest bowling without pads, and con- 

 front it with a rock-like defence. Albeit increased bulk had 

 somewhat hindered his triumphs in connection with the Noble 

 Science, he was as good as ever on the 12th and kindred days. 

 !3ut his ' awkward times' are a trouble to his friends, as Mark 

 Hartbrook knows. 



' He and young Dykely are flying at each other, Jenny ; and 

 how the row will end, / don't know.' 



' What, the Captain ?' queried Mrs. Hartbrook, with a look of 

 alarm. 



' Yes,' replied mine host. ' You know there's been bad blood 

 between the pair ever since Marl got six months for poaching on 

 Dykely's land. Although the Squire is a durable hand at preserv- 

 ing, he never forgave him for prosecuting that young scamp.' 



* I never quite knew why Mr. Whinridge took so much trou- 

 ble over that business.' 



'O, that was natural enough! Marl's mother nursed Miss 

 Augusta, the Squire's only daughter, and was with her when she 

 died at Madeira. The old woman went to the Squire when her 

 son was taken, and implored him, with tears in her eyes, to save 

 the bad lot from being sent to prison. He prornised he would, 

 and I know how he tried. When he found that Dykely would 

 not budge an inch from his position, although he did pledge his 

 word that the lad should go for a soldier, or be sent out of the 

 country any way, he got Vellumly to engage Riverags the O.C. 

 to defend Marl, and went into the witness-box himself, and spoke 

 for the son of his daughter's nurse. That had some effect, I 

 suppose, for Marl only got six months — if they'd given him his 

 due, it would have been years instead of months ; but Squire 

 Whinridge never forgave Captain Dykely.' 



* What are they disputing about ?' 

 ' Why, the Hunt Cup.' 



' But if Dykely won, he beat nothing from the Hall.' 

 ' What's that to do with it ? The Squire means mischief to- 

 night. Go it !' continued he, apostrophising a bell, which shook 

 above his head with unusual violence. * I know whose hand is 

 at the other end of that wire. I must go ; if anybody else faced 

 him at this moment something dreadful would happen.' 

 Hereupon the bell was shaken with augmented ferocity. 



* All right. I am coming, Gustavus the Terrible.' 



