96 CHASING AND RACING 



as best I could. I had not gone far before I became 

 aware of a strange sensation around my right eye, and 

 soon I could not see out of it, but there was no pain. 

 After a time I struck the trail of some of the field, and 

 after jogging along for a mile or so, having lost all idea 

 of topography, I heard a faint " whoop- whoop " from 

 a wood on the hill. Great Scott, they've killed, thought 

 I to myself, cursing my luck for not being in at the 

 death ; but as it happened they had not killed. The 

 brave red skin had found sanctuary in South Mimms 

 Wood, and was being marked to ground by Wilson, 

 who had taken command when I disappeared. 



The run had lasted fifty minutes, with hardly a 

 breather, and on grass nearly the whole time ! As soon 

 as I rode up I was greeted by Wilson with, " What's 

 the matter with your eye, sir ? ' I did not know ; but 

 it turned out that a long blackthorn had penetrated 

 above the eyelid, though most fortunately without 

 injuring the eye itself. Extra versed blood had caused 

 the whole socket to swell up, entirely destroying, fro 

 tem^ its sight. When this thorn was removed, it 

 proved to be three-quarters of an inch long. Luckily 

 nothing worse than a real lovely black eye supervened. 

 Faith, but it was a glorious run ! Of course, so 

 gallant a fox was left in peace ; but he never visited 

 Stanmore Common or its neighbourhood again, as far 

 as could be ascertained. 



We were all mightily pleased with ourselves, but 

 we had to face the reckoning. 



