I50 HOUND AND HORN 



Getting alongside of hounds, I saw Rambler, Pirate, 

 Marmion, Woodman, and Regent running mute and 

 with their hackles up, and as they crashed through 

 the next hedge and turned sharp at right angles down 

 behind it, I viewed, to my intense delight, the fox 

 a short way in front, going very slowly with trailing 

 brush and humped-up back. Hounds, too, got a view 

 of him, and what a thrill they gave one as they opened 

 their throats and threw their tongues with all their 

 might, as they hurled themselves at him and pulled 

 him down in the open, as he wheeled round to face 

 them. 



" Whoo-oo-oo-oop. Worry -worry- worry — whoo- 

 oop," from half-a-dozen excited throats. '' Well done, 

 hounds." *^ What a good do, Master, eh ? " from Tom 

 Telfer. ^' Leave it, hounds — dead, dead — leave it." 



" Well done, lads." *' One, two, three, five, seven 

 a half, nine, ten a half, eleven, twelve a half, fifteen a 

 half; only one hound short; what a fizzer, what a 

 cracker!" ^' How the devils drove ahead when they 

 turned in ! " '' See me take that toss in B.'s farm ? " 

 '* Thought we were going to lose him at Eckford." 

 *' What a rare fine cast of Rambler's." 



'^ Brush to Mrs. Edgerston, I s'pose ; only girl up. 

 Would like that fine sharp-pointed muzzle myself. 

 Just give me a moment to whang off" all the pads ; 

 there will be bids for every one of them, by gum. 

 Now then, tear him and eat him, boys. Whoo-oop 

 — whoop. Too-too-too-t-oo-too — whoo-oop. Here's 

 Billy Kerr coming up, and without his hat too, by 

 gum." 



'' How far did you say ? " 



*' Don't know ; but it's seven miles on the map, 



