MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 253 



disadvantage of weight. The hounds which Lavvy was 

 bringing along were making every effort to get up to the 

 leaders with only partial success. Presently those in front 

 disappeared, then they reappeared on the rising ground. 

 Two things puzzled Lavvy : one was that hounds were 

 almost mute (a rare event with the Cranston), and the other 

 that they strung out in a long line. They ran straight with- 

 out the semblance of a check, so that sheer galloping was 

 the only chance of getting up. 



Luckington Wood, on the extreme|of the Cranston country, 

 appeared, and Lavvy and possibly some others decided this 

 to be the fox's point ; but no, there was not a waver of the 

 line in its direction, and hounds ran on and into the Tinbury 

 country. By-and-by there were blown horses, occasional 

 empty saddles, and at Luckington village Lavvy saw the 

 leaders, with whom she was beginning to get on terms, turn 

 away to the left to make a detour ; she knew nothing of this 

 part of the country and for a moment she hesitated ; then a 

 chestnut horse, covered with lather, drew up alongside, and 

 Jack Morgan's cheery voice cried, " This way, we can get 

 over down here". A short field lane ended in a narrow 

 grass meadow, and Jack took a pull at his horse. 



"Give me room and come fast," he shouted over his 

 shoulder. " It's the only place, and they don't seem to know 

 it." 



Lavvy watched him and took her cue. Thirty yards from 

 the willow tree in front Jack put on the steam, and in 

 another moment was galloping safely on the other side of a 

 brook, and with no sign of hesitation the Banker followed 

 suit. It was Ned Barlow, a hundred yards behind, who 

 knocked up the water and cleverly saved a fall. 



" A grand gallop," Jack gasped. 



Lavvy was in front now, and near enough to see the 

 leading hounds. She could not understand what had hap- 

 pened ; instead of running in a cluster and carrying a head, 

 they were still strung out ; two couples of young hounds 

 had the lead and occasionally spoke to the scent, but there 



