294 MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS. 



For more tlian an hour I rode hard to catch them, 

 when their welcome cry once more greeted my ears. I 

 listened — they were running towards me, and in a few 

 minutes the fox crossed over a green lane where I had 

 pulled up. The scream I uttered was echoed by a faint 

 hurrah to my right, from the sporting baronet, who was 

 coming along at the tail of the hounds by himself. I 

 waited until he jumped the last fence into the lane. 

 " By Jove !" he said, " I was right glad to hear that 

 scream of yours once more, for I have had it all to my- 

 self ever since we parted at the river, and quantum suff^ 

 by this time." " Where in the world have you been 

 to ?" I asked. " That is more than I can tell you; but 

 we have had at least ten or twelve miles of as stiff work 

 as I ever cut out, and now you must ride in and win the 

 brush for me." This was easier said than done, my horse 

 being nearly as much beaten as his own. "We scrambled 

 on, therefore, together for a few more fields, when, seeing 

 the hounds were running into their fox, I jumped off, gave 

 him my horse to hold, and ran in on foot. I brought 

 him back the brush, his well earned trophy. " That 

 brush," he said, " I shall keep as long as I live, for I 

 have been both huntsman and whipper-in to-day, which 

 perhaps I shall never be again." Out of the whole field 

 not another man made his appearance that day at the 

 finish. The river threw them out at first, and afterwards 

 they lost the hounds entirely. The day was a very cold 

 one, with a drifting sleet, which froze upon our coats, 

 and my friend's teeth beginning to chatter, I begged him 

 to ride home at once, and take a stiff glass of brandy 

 and water at the first public-house he came to, and give 

 his horse another if he would drink it. *' That won't 



