WITH HORSE AND HOUND 179 



and therefore the pack were entered to jackal and ante- 

 lope) : nor was Tom P., although a most painstaking 

 and good homidsman, ever successful in rearing a litter 

 of whelps. For a time they would apparently thrive, 

 and then suddenly contract a virulent form of dis- 

 temper, a couple of days of which usually sufficed to wipe 

 out a whole litter. 



" We must start away before sunrise to-morrow, sir, 

 for it's a good ten miles from the kennels to Half-way 

 House; and it ain't worth the price of a red herring 

 trying to hunt after the dew has gone, for the veldt don't 

 hold a vestige of scent then." 



" All right, Tom, you won't find me a laggard, when 

 there's any sport to be had, I'll warrant," was my reply, 

 and then, having finished my peg of old Montague dop, 

 I turned in and was very soon hard and fast asleep. It 

 wanted yet a couple of hours to daybreak when a long- 

 drawn blast from Tom's horn caused me to jump out of 

 the blankets, but so brilliant were the stars that we 

 experienced but little difficulty in striking a bee-line to- 

 wards the appointed fixture. More than once during 

 the ride across the veldt hounds got on the line of a 

 " jack," but were, of course, whipped off, for the business 

 of the day was not to begin until later. Half-way House 

 being anything but a getatable place, not more than a 

 score of members of the Johannesburg Hunt Club put 

 in an appearance, including the M.F.H., and two ladies, 

 both of whom were at one time well-known followers of 

 the V.W.H. After a breakfast of tender and dehcious 



