30 HOUND AND HORN 



must put on the muzzle if you wish to get anywhere 

 near the hounds when they run by-and-by." 



^^A man can't work for nothing; you surely don't 

 grudge me two light meals a day, with a snack 

 between times ? " 



^' It's the snacks I do grudge/' replied the house- 

 keeper, wistfully eyeing about half a pound of honey- 

 comb being transferred to his plate. 



As I was looking through my letters, Billy, who 

 had been down to the stables to see how much of her 

 oats the grey mare had left, for amongst other faults 

 she was a shy feeder, reported, '' There's a character 

 in the saddle-room ; you'd better go down and see 

 him." 



'' Who is he. Bill ? " 



^' Oh, go and see for yourself; I think he'll amuse 

 you." 



After finishing my correspondence, I went down, 

 and was surprised to see a figure which I took to be 

 Batters, in an unimpeachable Sunday suit of clothes, 

 sitting on a stool silently smoking. He never moved, 

 and scarcely appeared to breathe, so somewhat mysti- 

 fied, I said in a half whisper, *' Batters." 



" Coming, sir," said that worthy from the adjoining 

 stable, and when he appeared the resemblance to the 

 motionless figure was still more apparent. " A was 

 stertin' to rasp that grey mare's teeth ; that's ma 

 faither, sir." 



Batters looked any age between thirty and sixt}^, 

 but was much nearer the latter age, and the figure on 

 the stool looked considerably younger as it sat ; but 

 on being spoken to it solemnly dropped from the stool 

 on to the shortest and handiest pair of legs that ever 



