832 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



covert just above it. He may have stopped tliere 

 a minute or two to look down on the pretty scenery 

 below, seeing no cause to be in a hurry, as gentle- 

 men tourists do, when time's no object/* 



" He is too far in advance, Will Headman, to be 

 handled by you, notwithstanding your jokes/* 



" Then, joking apart, Squire, I intend to mask 

 him before sun-down." 



The fox had waited a few minutes in the covert, 

 and when he poked his nose out the other side into 

 a fallow field, where a plough-team was at work, a 

 shrill scream from a cart-boy caused him to poke it 

 in again, and hearing shooters along a hedgerow the 

 other side of the fence, he deemed it prudent not to 

 risk exposure to fire in that direction. Up wind he 

 did not wish to go ; so perforce he was obliged to 

 consider awhile what course to pursue, and then tack 

 round again for his point. Will Headman^s rattlers 

 improved their pace considerably by this movement, 

 and the fast men began to press them. 



" Steady, gentlemen, if you please,** cried their 

 huntsman, " they arn't going to ran away from us 



yet." 



'' And I'll take good care they don*t,'* muttered 

 Sam Coventry, riding in atop of old Jasper, as he 

 was jumping the fence, 



"Hold hard, sir!** vociferated the master. "I 

 won*t allow my hounds to be knocked over in that 

 fashion by you, sir, or anybody.** 



" Beg pardon, sir, but my horse pulled so, I could 

 not hold him.** 



" Then ride wider of them, Mr. Coventry ; the 



