148 THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 



— more spurs — and finally, by way of closing the proceedings, 

 a dangerous rear, which warned Jack that any further coercion 

 might be attended with evil results. The brute went up so 

 straight on end that it became a mere chance as to whether 

 he would come down on his back or not ; and Jack, like the 

 good horseman he had proved himself to be, was not fool 

 enough to court such a risk for the sake of a temporary 

 triumph. So, once more, he turned away from the fence, 

 and galloped all round the field, seeking an outlet, but with 

 the exception of the way he came in there was none, and in a 

 most disgusted mood he drew one of Binkie Senior's one-and- 

 threepenny's from his cigar-case, lighted it, and started on 

 the return journey to The Chase. 



' Revenons a nos moutons ' — literally, as well as figuratively 

 — the sheep scurried away as hounds came up, but scent had 

 been so foiled that Will's first cast was an unsuccessful one. 

 Not a hound spoke to the line, and though the check was 

 welcome, in a sense, the pleasure of getting a ' blow ' was 

 largely discounted through the fear that they had said farewell 

 to their fox. However, after a delay of several minutes, Will 

 managed, in what Mr. Jorrocks would have called an ' all 

 round my 'at ' cast, to hit it off again, and once more they 

 were moving. 



Very slowly, though. Scent had got cold, and the wind, 

 then blowing in great gusts, had not improved matters. Still, 

 hounds kept steadily on, puzzling out the line in the most 

 persevering manner. They hunted him down to the brook, 

 flowing sluggishly along at the foot of a big grass hill, which led 

 on to the open Downs. This brook the field had to jump, but 

 it was not very formidable, and all of those still with hounds, 



