78 FOX-HOUND, FOREST, AND PRA11UE. 



edged in between the Master and the gate, and ousted him out 

 of that ; that they might wade up and down the rill of water 

 that crossed the gateway. Expostulation was altogether lost on 

 the beaming boy, who had no more voice in the matter than his 

 victims by this time in a general roar, and wondering eagerly 

 what would come next. It soon came. The single yellow girth 

 which circled the pony's shaggy ribs suddenly snapped in two. 

 The rosy rider bethought him he had best dismount but for 

 the life of him knew not how to effect it. First one leg he 

 drew over the saddle till he had carried that stirrup to the 

 crupper the while he lay wriggling with his waistcoat glued to 

 the mane and his arms round the rough hairy neck. Finding 

 this of no avail, he tried hard to bring the other leg and stirrup 

 over behind him. Round went the old saddle-pad ; and full 

 length under the shallow water went the beaming youth his 

 merry upturned face responding delightedly to a shout of 

 laughter that might have been heard at Melton. The Master 

 rode on with a smile of amusement not unmixed with relief 

 and proceeded to post all comers where they could do no harm 

 while Welby Fishpond was drawn. But scarcely had he taken 

 up his own position than with a rattle through the crowd came 

 the irrepressible boy ; to dash right across the covert at a pace 

 that outdid pursuit, to disappear in the distance, and to leave a 

 vision of a laughing face and a flying fugitive to make one's 

 very dreams amusing that night. 



But of the run which was from Saxelby Wood, and which, 

 with a little more luck, might have taken a much higher class 

 than was destined for it. A fox that slipped away as he chose, 

 not as he was bidden, set forth through the adjacent gorse of 

 Grim s ton, and over the hill to the left of Old Dalby Wood the 

 scent apparently as fierce as the customers who were to be seen 

 riding hotly in the wake of him, and almost in that of hounds. 

 A nice country, level and easy to ride, lay in front ; and pros- 

 pects never looked better. But a good man who had sown his 

 wheat declined Reynard his passage, shouted at, and turned him 

 down among the steep broken gullies between the wood and 



