THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 145 



But to-day Will means to kill his fox, if he can. He jags 

 and shakes up his sweat-covered, foam-flecked horse into a 

 canter again — how is it that Huntsmen's horses, however 

 ' done,' can always raise a gallop or struggle over a fence, at 

 a pinch ? — and gets his hounds together in a moment. Ben 

 and Tom are quickly at hand to give him assistance, and he 

 makes a forward cast. 



This pause in the proceedings enables Mr. Sanders to 

 arrive on the scene with the Duke's second horse, and five 

 minutes later, the Huntsman also receives his ' relief ' animal. 

 Sir Tommy then heaves in sight, followed at a considerable 

 interval by Adela Comely and five or six men. The hatter is 

 in a ditch, about a mile back, with Nobbs, the horse-breaker, 

 on top of him. A few of the road contingent are rapidly 

 approaching up a lane to the left, and the rest — where are 

 they? and echo, adopting its customary, though somewhat 

 inane course, answers ' where ?' 



Whilst horses are blowing and heaving, their legs stretched 

 straight out, their tails quivering, and the sweat pouring off 

 their mud-stained limbs and smoking bodies, we will return to 

 Mr. Travers Binkie and Mr. Jack Dashwood. 



Adopting his usual plan, Mr. Binkie had kept well in the 

 background, and showed none of that nasty, selfish, forward 

 conduct, that you, reader, are always guilty of, in trying to get 

 a good start w'hen hounds find. Travers's style of getting 

 across country at least ensured him against the risk of being 

 jumped on by anyone behind — simply because he occupied 

 the position of absolute last in inoprm x>ersond. Turning his 

 toes well out, so as to catch tighter hold of the horse with his 

 calves — which were so obviously too fat for the purpose — he 



H.H. L 



