C( 



CHAPTER VIII 



A TERRIER TALK 



They may wind him and find him and hustU him rounds 

 They may race him and chase him and put him to ground^ 

 But he7'e in the heart of the hill countt-ee 

 How seldom thefd ea^ him, without help from meV^ 



—"Scamp." 



n 



I 



F you wish to find Bill you had better look 

 the stables," had often been said to me by 

 the Lady President of the establishment ; and 

 the same reliable person now stated that she had that 

 morning instructed the servant to say to a Lady 

 Collector who had called at the door, that if she 

 wished to find the Master she had better look the 

 kennels. " Be sure you say the fox-hound kennels, 

 Parker ! " was added as an afterthought, to be more 

 impressive, and possibly in hope of inspiring terror. 



The Lady Collector, who was described as of a patient 

 and persistent type, did not try for m.e in the kennels ; 

 at least her advent was not reported, although she 

 had been seen in the vicinity. 



I did not draw the stables blank for Bill, whom 

 I found standing behind the grey mare's stall talking 

 so earnestly and confidentially to Batters that my 

 approach on the straw was not heard, and I caught 



the latter muttering : ^' Weel, sir, ye'll mebbe tak 



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