O'GRADY'S FOX 75 



chestnut mare, rising nineteen years, which had carried 

 our hero — for the most part on her neck — -as far as the 

 water- jump in the steeplechase before-mentioned, but 

 spoiled any possible chance he might have had of winning 

 by dumping him neck and crop into the brook ; but all 

 that is another story. 



Denis at once made his way up to the huntsman, 

 whom he urged to first draw the three-acre covert stand- 

 ing on the boundary of the 0' Grady farm, as it was a 

 " starin sure " find for a fox. The huntsman having 

 facetiously congratulated him on the smart appearance 

 of both himself and his mount, yielded to this persuasion, 

 and away trotted the merry throng towards the spinney. 



Hounds had not been in covert for many minutes 

 when a whimper from old " Guardsman " was taken up 

 by the full chorus of the pack, and in almost less time 

 than it takes to write it, the " dappled beauties " were out 

 of covert and streaming across a big grass field. Strangely 

 enough, however, not one of the dozen or so men, who 

 were waiting within a few yards of the very spot where 

 the fox should have broken covert, viewed him away, 

 nor was the soul- stirring cry of " Tally-ho ! Gone away ! 

 Gone aw-a-ay ! " heard from any part of the wood. 

 There was no time to comment upon such details, how- 

 ever, for the pack were carrying a breast-high scent, and 

 pointing for a lovely line of country. The M.F.H. and 

 huntsman were the first over the big bank and newly 

 cleaned ditch, which had to be negotiated before the grass 

 field was entered, and pounding along in their wake came 



