CHAPTER V. 



The Squire's face beamed with genuine pleasure, to say 

 nothing of pride in his daughter, when he cantered up a side 

 lane on a pony just as Miss Badsworth and Jack Morgan 

 reached Rockwell cross roads. 



" Well done, Lavvy ; I see you killed him/' he said, point- 

 ing to the fox's mask hanging from the couples. " I made 

 sure he would have done you and got to ground. Where did 

 you catch him ? " 



*' He lay down in a patch of gorse just beyond Copton 

 Hill. Mr. Morgan was there and kindly performed the rites, 

 as you call them. I must introduce you, dad." 



" Artistically done, sir," the Squire said laughing, when 

 the formalities had been gone through. " Brought up in the 

 right school, I'm glad to see. Well, how about jelly dogs 

 now ? " 



** I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it ; in fact, I 

 can hardly realise it now. Just as I was in hopes of a little 

 trouble so as to let the horses catch their wind Miss Bads- 

 worth had her hounds on the line in a trice. I was only 

 just up in time to be of use, but then we don't run up the 

 hills in Dumpshire, and it would be hard to say whether I or 

 the horse was most blown." 



" Dumpshire ! You don't mean to say you come from 

 Dumpshire ! I was going to ask you up to Dewthorpe if 

 you would honour us ; now, upon my word, I shall insist." 



Jack half-heartedly pleaded that his kit was at Tordon. 

 Mr. Badsworth would take no denial. 



" Never mind that, we aren't far off in size. The horse 

 shall be seen to, and Jim shall take him along by-and-by, 



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