MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 103 



** I hope so, in a way ; but you never told me what I 

 should do when the hounds are over-ridden." 



" Take 'em home, miss " — the title came out at last — " take 

 'em home. Yoji can, I couldn't.'' 



When the hounds were back in their kennels and Lavvy 

 had restored the kennel coat to its peg, Summers asked : — 



"Excuse me, miss, when you caught that fox, what did 

 you do with him ? " 



" Broke him up/' Lavvy replied, stooping apparently to tie 

 a shoe-string. 



"And how did you do it — if I may make so bold ? " 



Lavvy ran her fingers round Johnnie's neck. 



" So," she said. " Turn back the skin, and sever the ver- 

 tebrae at base of skull — brush so — taking Johnnie's tail in her 

 hand. Pads of course at the joints." 



Summers smiled, but all he said was " Don't forget to 

 keep your knife sharp, miss". 



Twice during his breakfast Joseph Summers chuckled 

 quietly to himself. 



So unusual was the proceeding that at the second exhibi- 

 tion of the phenomenon his wife's curiosity was aroused. 



" What's the matter, Joe ?" she asked. 



" Nothing's the matter that I know of," he replied. " I've 

 been talking to the new huntsman." 



"Well? " Mrs. Summer's query came in a tone which 

 evidenced surprise that so important a matter from her hus- 

 band's point of view should be coupled with signs of levity. 



Joe felt more than half inclined to share his information 

 with his wife. Matters were so far out of the common line 

 of events that they caused considerable stress upon his 

 powers of self-control, but Joe shared with the Red Indian 

 the idea that the display of astonishment was detrimental to 

 dignity, and womenfolk would talk, so he said : — 



" Comical things happens, that's all," and then he relapsed 

 into the silence of the Sphinx. 



