114 THE LIFE OF A FOXHOUND. 



returned the old hound, in a grumbling 

 humour. 



" You found? "said I. 



** Of course we did," he replied. " We 

 never get a blank day. They are too staunch 

 and true preservers in our country for that to 

 take place." 



My companion v^^as now called to take his 

 turn in the warm bath, which Mark had 

 prepared, and after his body and limbs were 

 well laved, he was ordered into the lodging- 

 room, where there was plenty of clean straw 

 to roll in. 



** There's nothing like this," said Trim- 

 bush, rubbing his back, with all his feet in 

 the air. ** There's nothing like this," 

 repeated he, " after a cold, wretched day. 

 It warms one's blood, prevents rheumatism, 

 and is a real blessed preventative to many 

 disorders. I like my bath as well as my 

 meal." 



" You are no bad judge," replied I, 

 laughing. 



" I should say not," returned he. "I 

 should say that I was anything but a bad 

 judge between what's good for us and what is 

 not." 



