THE BET WOK. 93 



are not in Leicestersliire now, but one of the stiffest vales 1 

 ever crossed yet, where hounds can and will beat the horses.'* 



" They can't beat me,'* replied the great squire. 



" They have done it once already, and will do it again, T 

 hope," rejoined Burnett ; " that is, if the scent holds as good 

 with the next fox we find." 



By this time the Captain and Yernon had reached the spot^ 

 when the former appealed to Gwynne about his bet. 



" You have won this heat clearly enough, Markham," replied 

 Sir Lucius, " as Beauchamp had his fox in hand five minutes 

 at least before the great man showed at all, and four of us were 

 before him." 



" Eh ! Yernon, 'pon honour, no mistake about it — ^lost your 

 money, old fellow ; but come, I'll let you ofi" for a five pound 

 note — demmed liberal ofier, eh ? " 



" 1 won't take it, Markham, for I feel certain of winning, as 

 an accident only prevented my man being in his proper place, 

 where he is sure to be the next run." 



" Oh, very well," replied the Captain ; " as you please." 



The hounds were now taken to one of the finest fox coverts 

 in the world — a large hazel coppice of about one hundred acres, 

 situated in the centre of a fine grass country, with large, open 

 pasture fields. 



" Ah ! " exclaimed the Leicestershire squire, " this is some- 

 thing like a hunting country, with plenty of room to fall, with- 

 out half a score fellows being in upon a man when he*s down. 

 Now, Burnett, we may fancy ourselves at Billesdon again." 



" With this difierence only," replied Sir Francis, " that there 

 we can take our fences at a fly ; here it cannot be done, with a 

 wide ditch on both sides, and a big, thundering bank and quickset 

 in the middle." 



"I shall try it, notwithstanding," rejoined the squire. 



" Then you don't see our second fox killed, that's settled ; 

 but, hark ! by Jove ! they have found him." And with a scream, 

 which thrilled through the hearts of all. Will Beauchamp viewed 

 him over the ride. In a moment the whole pack was at work, 

 rattling him round the covert. 



"Beautiful!" exclaimed the great squire: "how those big 

 brutes stick to him ! Gad, sir, they squeak like terriers, light 

 enough in their tongue — eh, Burnett ?" 



" Yes, there's little cry with them, and when they run hard, 

 you can scarcely hear them at all ; tip and go is their motto, 

 and I've seen them run half a mile with their fox in view, 



