134 COUNS/NC 77 IE ITANE 



We followed him gloomily to the cab, and there 

 the two brutes were lying, ])anting and miserable. 

 What they had had we never knew, but it appears 

 that their guardian, thinking himself quite secure in 

 his fresh quarters, had locked his dogs into a stable 

 and retired to rest. At five o'clock in the morning 

 he had gone down to release them, when he found 

 them, as he said, apparently dying. He got them an 

 emetic, and this no doubt saved their lives, but one 

 of them was never any good afterwards, and the other 

 took months to recover. 



We never found out who did the dirty work, but a 

 hole had been cut in the window, and the poisoned 

 meat thrown in ; doubtless the poisoner had found 

 at the first village where the dogs had gone, and fol- 

 lowed them. We sent the poor brutes home, and 

 went on to the coursing ground, where someone 

 quickl)- asked us what was the matter. It appears 

 there were some long odds books open, and, though 

 our dogs had been quoted at five and six to one re- 

 spectively overnight, they had gone out to any odds 

 you like in the morning. We went to the stewards 

 and withdrew them, and we also offered a reward, but 

 probably it was not large enough, as nothing ever 

 came to light ; but it was some satisfaction to know 

 that not a penny w^as got out of the individual courses, 



