THE THREE PACKS. 57 



the line in tlie first fe\v hundred yards. But it was excitement 

 only not " a want of scent," as a dozen pair of lips at once 

 framed it. For in the second field the pack buckled to their 

 work, and could drive their fox as fast as they could get over 

 the grass and through the fences. To the right of Gaddesby 

 village is the prettiest going. Every hedge has its easy places ; 

 and easy swinging gates also help to speed the galloper. Below 

 the village is the Gaddesby Brook a stream that is more easily 

 forded than jumped. As hounds and field rushed down upon 

 its bank, a fresh fox rushed through their very midst, and caused 

 the contretemps of the day. Half the pack jumped at him as 

 he passed, and went away to the left at his brush. The other 

 half bore to the right down-stream ; at the same moment Firr 

 caught a view of their fox before them, and verified him as the 

 one with which they had started. But the division took place 

 so instantly, and was so little realised that, unless you happened 

 to be pinning all } r our faith, and looking for guidance, to the 

 huntsman's cap, it was mere accident which section of the pack 

 caught your eye. " A cub, no doubt, and they've run him into 

 view " was the obvious argument which carried off the Master, 

 with such good attendants as Messrs. W. Gosling, B. Lubbock, 

 Parker, Peake, Hume, the Duke of Portland, Mr. and Mrs. 

 Adair, Mrs. F. Sloane-Stanley, Col. (Jhippindall, Capt. Grim- 

 stone, O'Neal, and others. In the huntsman's train rode Capts. 

 Smith, Barclay, Starkie, Goodchild, Hill-Trevor, and Henry, 

 Miss Constable, Count Kinsky, Mons. Deschamps, Messrs. A. 

 Brocklehurst, Cecil Chaplin, Behrens, H. T. Barclay, Mr. H., 

 with Mrs. and Miss Story, &c., while Capt. Boyce, at first 

 jumping over the fence to the left, immediately discovered and 

 rectified his mistake. (I hope I may be pardoned for making 

 a more than ordinary free use of names to adorn my little tale ?) 

 The former party galloped heartily up to South Croxton village ; 

 and only discovered the situation when, at the end of what their 

 spokesman afterwards described as a capital twenty to twenty- 

 five minutes* burst, they found themselves at a check, in the 

 poor allotments. The others were able to make a much better 



