2i6 MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 



Wood ; notwithstanding the blindness of the country a 

 sense of intense exhilaration swept over her as she glanced 

 back and caught sight of the three couples which made up 

 the full complement straining to get up to the body of the 

 pack. She slipped her horn into its case, and mechanically 

 looked for the weakest place in the fence before her. 



Except from the huntsman's point of view there was no 

 need for hurry ; in fact, outside the covert, the scent, though 

 holding, was not so good as it had been within. People 

 knew that the chances were in favour of a short journey, so 

 they progressed more or less at leisure. There was pace 

 enough to make Lavvy aware that a little later on she would 

 have to go her best in order to keep her place with her 

 hounds. 



Miss Badsworth, with Jack Morgan as guide, cantered 

 leisurely across towards the spinney by a cart track, and 

 pulled up near a little bridge which crossed a gully worn by 

 a small stream in the course of centuries. 



Hounds away on the right were at fault; in their eagerness 

 they had crossed the gully and were swinging themselves in 

 the field beyond. 



Perhaps it was Alf Diccox's holloa, or fatigue, or half- 

 heartedness which stirred the instinct of that fox to eftbrts 

 for concealment ; he turned short down the gully. 



" For goodness sake, do hold hard and give them room ! " 

 Lavvy exclaimed to Captain Majendie. 



" Hold them on ! Hold them on ! He is sure to have 

 gone to the covert," the Captain said excitedly, in a tone 

 almost of command. 



Lavvy closed her teeth hard as if to keep back the words 

 she longed to use. 



" Never touch them if you can help it," Joe Summers had 

 counselled, and there was a keen eagerness about the hounds 

 which assured her the moment for interference had not 

 arrived. 



" That's an irrepressible chap over yonder, I'm afraid/' 

 Jack Morgan, keenly watching the proceedings, remarked to 



