A MORNING'S EXERCISE 27 



them in an instant, and swinging his whip with 

 " Warrior, leave it there ; get over and leave it, Pil- 

 grim," while Billy chimed in, the two soon had the 

 pack clustering round the old mare's heels. So on 

 we went for a couple of hours, now walking, now 

 jogging, till we came to a knoll covered with short 

 heather. There we got down and spent half-an-hour 

 letting hounds roll and push and draw themselves 

 along on their backs and sides to their full content, 

 and tossing bits of biscuit to the puppies. 



''Let's have a practice at the horn. Master," said 

 Billy. Whereupon he blew a blast with more vehe- 

 mence than harmony. Old " Safety " ran backward 

 with fright, the Irish mare wheeled round with the 

 whip, the old hounds raised their ears and looked 

 puzzled, and the young hounds dropped their sterns 

 and prepared for flight ; in fact. Playmate made off, 

 dragging old Marmion, to whom he was coupled, for 

 some distance before he stopped. The sheep on the 

 opposite hillside drew together in alarm, and I now 

 knew what old Peter the shepherd meant this morning. 

 He had told me: ''A couldna' jaloose what had 

 gliflfed the sheep off the hicht yestreen. A faund 

 the hill-end cut a' hotted thigether in a batt when 

 A cam' roun' the hill." My volunteer whip had stolen 

 out to the hilltop to have a '' practice on the horn." 



And some of the morning's incidents were of an 

 amusing nature. A little way beyond our halting 

 place we suddenly came upon a most patriarchal- 

 looking billy-goat tethered by a long rope to a stout 

 stake. Some of the young hounds were scared, and 

 seemed inclined to bolt, but most of them appeared to 

 wish a closer inspection. Two or three had fallen 



