150 



THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 



It was a run ! Men talked of it for many a day afterwards 

 as one of the best things they had ever known in the Haughty- 

 shire country. And now the quarry began to descend the 

 side of the Down again. What a stout fox he had proved 

 himself ! But even vulpine nature has its limits, and Will 

 hoped and believed that his fox must be sinking at last. 

 Horses undoubtedly were, and hounds were certainly stringing 

 a bit. The whole cavalcade kept on top of the ridge, 

 hoping Eeynard would change his mind and come up again ; 

 all, that is, except Will, who, glorying in his fresh horse, 

 slipped and slithered down the steep slope after the pack. 

 Pushing his way through the scattered furze bushes which 

 grew on the hillside, he cheered the tired hounds on, with 

 his " Forrard ! forrard! " the sound of his voice now coming 

 but faintly up to the devoted few still riding along on the 

 ridge of the high Down, their toylike forms boldly silhouetted 

 against the sky-line from Will's point of view below. 



At last, however, it becomes apparent, first, that the fox 

 has more in him than his pursuers thought — indeed. Will has 

 a horrible suspicion that they may have changed foxes some- 

 where since leaving the hilltop ; he is certain they were on 

 the beaten one until they got down into the bottoms — and 

 secondly, that the quarry has no present intention of leaving 

 the low ground to rise the hill again. 



Eonald has already put Marmion's head towards the vale. 

 The Duke and Adela are hesitating, uncertain whether to 

 follow him, or give up, for although His Grace has a 

 comparatively fresh horse, Miss Comely's bay can hardly 

 gallop a yard farther, and the Duke is much too gallant a 

 gentleman to leave her side at this stage ; the Whips are 



