94 THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 



" They seem very good ; very good, indeed. By the way," he 

 added, turning to Trousers, sitting open-mouthed and staring 

 straight in front of him, " have you still got that good-looking 

 runaway ? I saw you on him, one day last week — or was it 

 you, Sir Thomas," turning to Fitzsquander. 



Before the latter could reply, Jack cut in with — 



" No ; it's more likely that you saw Fitzsquander off' him ! " 



" Shut up," growled Tommy savagely. 



Then Travers, striking a match and holding it alight, 

 squeaked out — 



" Oh no ; I sold him." 



" Yes, and I bought him," chimed in Eonald Dennison. " I 

 think he's a good horse, if you can hold him." 



"And sit on him," put in Jack maliciously, " eh. Tommy ? " 



But Tommy took no notice. It was so extremely vulgar 

 of Jack to make these allusions. The Baronet merely blew 

 clouds of blue smoke from the one-and-threepenny up to 

 the ceiling, and watched them as they wreathed themselves 

 around above his head. 



" Well, take care he doesn't run right into the middle of the 

 pack," laughed the Piector. "He frightened Archie Crocker, 

 one day, by sailing with him." 



" Oh, I'm by no means looking forward to an easy time, at 

 first," said Dennison ; " but ' beggars can't be choosers,' and if 

 I couldn't pick up cheap horses, I couldn't afford to hunt 

 at all. And if you ride cheap hunters, well, naturally, 

 there's something or other not quite right about them ; if 

 they're sound (and a really sound horse is a bit of a luxury 

 for me to get hold of), why, then they've got a pain in their 

 tempers." 



