164 THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 



a find. Like hosts that rally round their standard, at the 

 trumpet's call, come bounding through the brake the 

 merry throng ; the huntsman's cheer is responded to by 

 a rapid succession of 



• " throats, 



" With a whole gamut filled with heavenly notes." 



It is a moment of intense, I had almost written, of pain- 

 ful interest ; so nearly do extremes meet, so close is the 

 conjunction between the most pleasurable sensations and 

 those of an opposite character. While hope is mount- 

 ing almost to delight, anxiety is bordering upon fear. 

 The action has commenced, the huntsman's heart and 

 soul are thrown amidst the pack, he has neither eyes nor 

 ears for aught beside, all is right at present; but any 

 one of a hundred probable mischances may mar the tide 

 of fortune. A few short, sharp, and shrill notes of the 

 horn, alternating with a cheery " hoic ! hoic ! hoic, 

 together, hoic I" fill up the pauses in this grand overture 

 to the approaching opera. The huntsman is, as he 

 always should be, literally, with his hounds ; the second 

 whipper-in is in active attendance upon him, at certain 

 distance in his rear, ready to put on any stragglers as 

 they join, with a " go hark cry, go hark!" in a tone of 

 encouragement (not of reproach, for they cannot all be 

 en inasse at once in strong covert); there are twenty 

 couples thundering through the stuff. Hark to yon 

 piercing scream across the ride. The first whipper-in 

 has viewed him over, and, waving his hand in the direc- 



