HEROES OF THE HUNTING-FIELD 145 



is an eccentric," he said to me; "but he likes 

 foreigners, and reads the Revue des Deux Mondes. He 

 will give you a hearty reception." He, in fact, 

 offered me his hand with that English frankness 

 and cordiality which I prefer to all the ceremonies of 

 politeness. After exchanging the usual greetings, 

 and making a few of those jokes which only make 

 the English laugh, the squire assumed the command 

 of his army. At a sign and word addressed to the 

 huntsman, the hounds, which had up to this time 

 been checked by the authority of the lash, were sent 

 into the covert. The scene, however, did not at all 

 respond to the idea one forms of a covered spot ; it 

 was a quantity of fallow ground scarce covered by a 

 bed of dry withered grass, on which asses and geese 

 had doubtless been turned out to graze ; it is true 

 that at certain distances there rose in the midst of 

 the plain clumps of shrubs, impenetrable brambles, 

 compact tufts of thistles, and, lastly, forests of thorny 

 broom, which grew to a certain height, though not 

 sufficient to offer protection. It was among these 

 shrubs. Hence the huntsman had given the signal 

 to the hounds by shouting, " Hark in, hark in there, 

 dogs ! " exclamations which answer to our old 

 hunting formula, Harlou ! Harlou ! id, mes bellots ! 

 They were thus urged to keep their ears open and 

 search. 



6 The covert at this moment presented an extra- 

 ordinary spectacle. Every shrub and almost every 



L 



