THE LIFE OF A FOXHOUND. 131 



between their knees, and their tails shook as 

 if they must drop off. 



" How beautifully they work," I heard the 

 Squire say as he threw himself from the 

 saddle. " Let them alone; pray let them 

 alone." 



We had now made the cast as far to the 

 left as we had done to the right, and yet we 

 could not hit him off. 



"I'm sure he's headed back," said Wild- 

 boy, confidently. 



"We'll try," replied Trimbush; "but I 

 doubt it." 



" It's now quite clear," said the Squire, 

 as we failed to touch the scent in our track, 

 " that the hounds can make nothing of it. 

 They have had a fair trial; now let me see 

 what you can do, William." 



Will threw his strong, keen eye forward, 

 and his ears were pricked for any halloo or 

 indication of the line of the fox ; but nothing 

 appeared to enlighten him. He then out with 

 his horn, and was about making a wider and 

 more forward cast than we had made down 

 wind, when Trimbush sprang into the stream, 

 and swam to a small patch of sedge and grass, 

 not a great deal bigger than a man's hat, and 



