FOX-HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS 33 



minutes after a fox almost in view, when a 

 drain came in our way, a big jump, but on a little 

 Irish horse of mine called Cannibal, I got well 

 over. The dyke was probably of more formid- 

 able dimensions elsewhere, as it stopped even 

 Mr. Chaplin, as well as Mr. Chandos Leigh and 

 Lord Henry. 



The hounds ran on for another five minutes, 

 then threw up suddenly in the middle of a fallow 

 field, and never touched the line again. There 

 was no one in sight, so after a time, with all the 

 confidence of youth, I proceeded to hold the 

 hounds down wind and then in other directions. 

 No doubt I must have thought it encouraging to 

 the pack to wave my right arm with energy as I 

 took them along with that action of the hand 

 which is much in vogue on poultry farms. All 

 in vain. They never touched the line again. 

 I looked round once more ; what did I see ? 

 Fifty yards behind there stood Lord Henry him- 

 self, the Messrs. Chaplin, Chandos Leigh, and 

 Charley Hawtin. Would that the earth could 

 have swallowed me up at that moment ! Slowly, 

 step by step, the cavalcade approached ! I 

 heard a smothered '' hush '' and yet another 

 pause ! At last Lord Henry, in slow, measured 

 tones, almost hissed out word by word, '' Sir 

 Reginald, when you have quite done feeding 

 3 



