MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 215 



who had left his horse and approached the scene of action, 

 asked : — 



'* Is that the way to break up a fox, Miss Badsworth? " 



There was a sneer in the tone of his voice which set 

 Lavvy's back up. 



" Sometimes when puppies are out for the first time. You 

 had better ask Joseph Summers." 



Then without taking further notice of the Captain she 

 whistled the hounds and trotted away to reinforce the con- 

 tingent running above. 



The joining of forces made matters hot for the pursued, 

 but more than once the foiled ground gave him a chance. 



Alf Diccox, knowing well that Charlbury Spinney was 

 only a few fields away, and that there was every chance of a 

 fox endeavouring to evade his enemies in that direction, 

 kept a sharp lookout. 



" Ah ! I thought so," he said at length confidingly to his 

 terriers. " Yonder he goes, but he's had pretty near enough 

 of it." 



When the fox had disappeared in the first hedge, Alf 

 sent up a holloa which had in it the true professional ring, 

 and conveyed to all concerned that it was a case of " Gone 

 away ! " 



'' Hark, holloa, hark ! For'rard, for'rard, away 1 " The 

 twang of a horn and the sharp ringing of a whistle produced 

 a bustle all around. 



Captain Majendie galloped round a corner of the wood 

 just as the leading hounds took up the line. Now was the 

 chance for a gallop all to himself up to the adjoining spin- 

 ney, he thought. But it was not to be ; the despised girl 

 was close at hand ; a horse's head bored through the fence, 

 and the next moment the horse himself landed with Lavvy in 

 the field, whilst hounds poured out close beside her, and Ned 

 Barlow, pausing for a moment to run his eye over them, 

 quickly followed in her wake. Out here in the open, Lavvy, 

 blowing her horn with her head bent down, felt more in her 

 element than she had done in the recesses of Clinkern 



