214 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



few had drawn ahead in their places, riding, how- 

 ever, wide of the hounds. On ascending the hill 

 — more like a mole-hill than a mountain — they 

 brushed through a patch of gorse, and thence the 

 race began afresh, with heads up and sterns down, 

 for a couple of miles, when the eagle eye of Dick 

 perceived they had overshot the mark in the 

 middle of a grass-field. 



" Steady, Tom ! "' he exclaimed, " there's no scent 

 afore those young uns : here it is, to the left. 

 All ! old Bounty has it ! " and with a cheer, to 

 which the pack wheeled round in an instant, they 

 were again scouring away. 



'^ Well done, uncle ! " cried Lord S . " That 



eye of yours has saved Tom's head, and ten 

 minutes to boot. Now we shall handle him." 



*' I think so too, my lord ; but he ain't beat 

 yet." 



A mile farther on another check at a green lane, 

 into which the fox had jumped, going only half 

 way across it, and the leading couples, in hot haste, 

 dashing over the opposite fence, with Tom along- 

 side of them. 



" Here it is, down the lane ! " cried Woodcraft, 

 seeing a couple of old hounds turn short under the 

 hedge. 



'' Put 'em along. Jack," cried Tom, with a toot- 

 toot on his horn, and away he rode, full tilt, with 

 the pack at his horse's heels, straight across the 

 field. A cheer told that his ruse had succeeded. 

 He had rightly guessed the fox's line, and gained 

 a hundred yards upon him by this bold stroke. 



