BRAG LING 183 



a fresh flight to another and larger sheet of water 

 about three miles further on. 



W'e must, however, return to the pack. The 

 Master is moving off, and as he waves the pack over 

 a bank into the heather any hound throwing his 

 tongue will be severely dealt with if the whipper-in 

 can only get near enough to administer one cut, 

 accompanied by ' Ware riot. Melody ! ' for business 

 has begun. 



Ten couple of hounds there are in all, and two 

 couple of them are unentered. Melody is one of 

 these, and while there must be no question of sparing 

 the rod, we have a fellow-feeling for her exuberance 

 of spirits. The delinquent already has her stern up once 

 more (it was momentarily lowered on receipt of the 

 whipper-in's practical rebuke), and is as busy as any 

 of them, flinging here and there, and pushing her way 

 into a cluster of hounds which look remarkably busy, 

 for, yes ! they have already struck a line, no doubt of 

 a hare returning from feeding in the grass meadows 

 adjoining the common. 



The huntsman maintains a masterly inactivity, 

 merely rating any hound which shows an inclination 

 to dwell on the line. Now they are running quite 

 merrily across the heather, but come to a stop where 

 the hare has taken to one of the paths which abound 



