60 HOUND AND HORN ; 



to pass by us, and as he did so liis horse lashed out 

 and just missed the old man's leg. If ever I saw 

 Avrath in any man's face in my life it was then, as 

 he shouted out — 



" Take him away! take your vicious brute away, I tell 

 ye I go out into the middle of a field where there's 

 nobody else, but never come out a-hunting again ! 

 Oh, dear, dear, dear, he might ha' broke my leg." 



The latter was to myself. It was on another occa- 

 sion when, having had a long morning in the same 

 West Woods, we came away to try Clench Common, 

 and as we came in on the lower side of the Gorse we 

 met a very well known character, who lived some- 

 where about there, and who, I fear, bore not the best 

 possible name as regarded game or foxes ; at all events 

 he was no favourite with our old huntsman, and I 

 don't think he disguised his feelings, nor could have 

 said a good word for him if he had tried. Well, there 

 he stood, close by the Gorse, and as we passed he 

 made the remark, " There was a brace o' foxes lying 

 about here yesterday." Well, it might have been 

 made to either of us or to any one else, but poor old 

 George turned round to me and said, quite loud enough 

 to be heard, " I wish, sir, 'twere the only thing 

 a-lying about here." 



One more of these and I have done ; but we must 



