SCIEN'CE OF FOXHUNTING. 315 



showing his craft by stopping short on the bank, 

 and then running do\Yn the same side some little 

 distance before crossing. In plunge the leaders, 

 and out the other side, but there is no scent beyond 

 them. Old Saracen, however, turns short down upon 

 his line along the bank, and the youngsters catching 

 it up again where he really had crossed flash away 

 like lightning. A large flock of Leicester sheep are 

 huddled up together in a corner of the next field. 



" Hang them ! '' said Headman, '^ they ought to 

 be in the fold eating turnips, instead of grass in the 

 field, at this time o^ year. They have followed him, 

 Jem, the fools, as they always do ; and I believe he 

 got in amongst ^em on purpose." 



'' Most likely, master." 



"Turn ^em away then, Jem, whilst I make it good 

 the other side of the fence. I hates sheep as poison 

 in the wool, but a boiled leg of mutton with trim- 

 mings isn^t a bad thing on the table, when one 

 comes home hungry after hunting.^^ " Steadily, ho ! 

 my lads," was Will Headman^s note, as he held them 

 forward over the stained ground, not quite lifting 

 them off their noses. " Hold to the line, my old 

 darlings, and teach the young ones how to work 

 through difficulties. We can afford him now a few 

 minutes^ longitude, and for all that, I feel pretty sure 

 of overhauling him at last. This side wind tacking 

 has brought him further away from his point than 

 he intended, and eight miles goes for something at 

 the pace we have been travelling." 



By a judicious cast the line is quickly recovered, 

 and the pack again clustering together go away at 



