28 HOUND AND HORN 



behind. Jack went back to put them on, cracking his 

 whip as I called encouragingly to them. This had 

 the effect of starting the goat off at a fast canter, 

 which he kept up round and round in ever-lessening 

 circles till he had wound himself up close to his post, 

 where, stamping and butting, he looked most formi- 

 dable, with Ruffian, Pilgrim, and Pirate baying at 

 him. It took several smart cuts with the whip to 

 drive them oh, and my laughter did not diminish when 

 Billy said, '' By Jove, I do believe they would not have 

 been long in breaking up old Nebuchadnezzar. Tell 

 ye what, if we don't find a fox first day out we 

 might enlarge the patriarch on the top of Blue Cairn ; 

 believe they'd run the high old boy with half a day's 

 start." 



These exercising ^' trails," as Batters called them, 

 were a great delight at the time, and a most pleasant 

 recollection to recall — the whole surroundings were 

 so attractive and picturesque, and it was all so satis- 

 fying. At the same time we looked forward with 

 an eagerness that almost amounted to impatience to 

 the rapidly approaching time when we should start 

 work. 



'^ When do you intend to begin business. Master ? " 

 was the question frequently put by my supernumerary 

 whip, and repeated this morning as we turned our 

 horses' heads homewards. It was explained to him 

 that the hill country would only stand three or four 

 days' hunting at most, that though cubs had been seen 

 we could not be sure they had not moved on, and 

 that in our own country proper, where we proposed 

 to move shortly, corn would not be cut for two or 

 three weeks yet. 



