160 THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



opened, and the first thing that presented itself to Dick, 

 was our hero, who had jumped some very high paling, 

 out of the plantation, into the park, standing on his feet 

 in the middle of the pack, the hare lying dead in their 

 presence. 



" Well, Mr. Raby," exclaimed Dick, on approaching his 

 young master, and within hearing with a sort of grin on 

 his countenance, which I believe is called "laughing on 

 the wrong side of the mouth " " I think, sir, you needn't 

 go to the foxhounds, when you can see such a run as this 

 with our hounds. And what a horse, to be sure, is that 

 there Ackillis ! " 



" He's only half a good one," said Frank. 



"Make so bold, Mr. Raby," observed Dick, "what do 

 you call a whole good one ? " 



" He wants a turn of speed, Dick, as your old Clod- 

 hopper wants a turn of blood. You see he could not do it 

 at the last, or you would have been here to save me the 

 trouble of keeping your hounds at bay." 



This speech was " daggers to the soul " of poor Dick, 

 and all vestige of the "grin" disappeared. In fact, so 

 dejected was he, in the servants' hall, throughout the 

 evening so unusual with him when his hounds had been 

 showing sport that he was more than once asked if he 

 were not ill. 



" There is nothing the matter with me," was his reply ; 

 but on waking from a bit of a snooze on his chair, after 

 two extra horns of ale, he was heard to sing out 



" Damn that white plantation gate ! " 



It might, for a moment, be a matter of surprise in what 

 way the various discussions which have been detailed, 

 relating to the schemes and speculations of the young 

 Squire, reached the ears of his parents ; but when it is 

 recollected that five servants on the establishment were 

 involved in them, the thing is easily accounted for. 



To begin. " La, Miss Raby," said her maid, when 

 attending her in her bedroom, the next night, " what do 

 you think ? we shall be so gay at Amstead ; Mr. Francis 

 is going to keep race-horses! Oh, how I do love a race ! 

 Then," continued the Abigail, " he is going to have the 

 finest greyhounds in the world, and we are all to go to the 

 coursing meeting, to see him win the cup. But I haven't 

 told you all yet, miss. The coachman said last night, in 

 the hall (as the servants' hall is called), that you was no 



