180 THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 



have seen him from the house." " Well, never mind." 

 I never want to see him again, or have him seen, till 

 he is in hand. If he is not headed, or lies down in one 

 of the clumps, so that he can dodge back, and protract 

 the finish; they will run into him handsomely, to a 

 moral certainty ; no horses will be too near them, — just 

 now across the grass. Look at the old hounds, how 

 they press forward for the lead ; look at their bristles, 

 how they are pointed ; they are running for him ; he will 

 not face the country over the opposite paHng; he 

 threads the belt alongside : hark, what a crash is echoed 

 by the fir trees ; not a hound is mute ; those notes, 

 shriller than the piercing octave of the fife, bespeak the 

 breathless energy of the leading hounds ; — they are 

 running him in view. He makes one last effort, exerts 

 the remnant of his strength in speed, and, for a moment, 

 seems to gain upon the pack ; — but no, his race is run ; he 

 doubles and avoids the leading couples as they fling at 

 him; misses their jaws, and breaks, in open view, across 

 the plain, with dozens frantic for his blood ; in a mo- 

 ment they are up with him — another turn ; in the next 

 instant he is met — he is surrounded ; it is all up with 

 him. — Whoo-whoop ! he dies. Now gently, sir, gently ; 

 do not be in too great haste to rescue his carcase; let 

 them kill him, and then let all who are coming up have 

 a chance of doing honour to, and having a share in, his 

 obsequies. Not all the men; they will be here soon 



