46 THE MASTER OP THE HOUNDS. 



" Demned stiff somewliere," replied the Captain. 



" 'Pon honour, where 1 " cried Selina, choking with laughter 

 at his grotesque appearance, with liis coat split entirely up his 

 back, and his hat crushed to pieces. " A fox had a wound, but 

 he couldn't tell where — is that your case, Neddy, dear ?" she 

 inquired, in a pitying tone. 



Roars of merriment again burst forth. 



" Eh ! — aw ! — demmit ! what are all you fellows laughing 

 at 1 Can't see the joke." 



" Demned surprised if you could," added his sister. 



" Keally, Selina," exclaimed Sir Lionel, " you are too bad, 

 and if you don't behave better in the hunting-field, I shall not 

 allow you to meet the hounds again." 



" Don't be ill-tempered, daddy, dear," she said, coaxingly, 

 riding up and putting her hand on his shoulder. " I enjoy a 

 bit of fun, or a good run, as well as you do, my dear dad." 



" You are too witty by half, my dear," replied Sir Lionel. 



" Then 1*11 give the spare half to Edward, papa — will that 



do r* 



" Incorrigible ! " exclaimed her father, in despair. " Will 

 you lecture her a little, Sir Francis ? " 



" Rather be excused, Sir Lionel, as I have an idea she 

 would give me a thorough good lathering in return. But 

 now, what's the next move 1 " 



" Home, I should think ; but what says Will Beauchamp ?" 



" We think of travelling in that direction," replied the 

 master huntsman, "seeing we are now eighteen miles from 

 the kennels." 



" Of course you do," added Bob Conyers ; " Td never risk 

 the spoiling such a day's sport as this by drawing again. There 

 are some fellows who hunt by the day, and don't know what to 

 do with themselves until the day is over; which puts me in 

 mind of an answer given by Lord Mervyn to a gentleman 

 who asked him for a day's shooting. 'Not an hour's, sir,' 

 was the reply, and a fair rebuke j for a good shot in half an 

 hour would bag more game in my lord's preserves than he 

 could within a week in common shooting. Sport cannot be 

 measuied by time ; that's my idea of it." 



" And a very correct one, Bob," replied Sir Francis. " I 

 have enjoyed these fifteen minutes over the turf at this splitting 

 pace, more — ten times more — than I should the longest wood- 

 land run." 



" Come along then, Burnett," exclaimed Mr. Beauchamp, 



