CHAPTER XII. 



It was not, I fancy, with a very good grace tliat 

 George Carter first came into Hampsliire, as it was a 

 style of country to wliicli he had never been accus- 

 tomed, and the terribly steep hills, and big flints, 

 especially about Fosbury, Ham Ashley, Coombe, &c., 

 rather staggered him ; for if it was bad for horses, 

 what must it have been for hounds ? True it was that 

 Mr. Assheton Smith generally had this side of the 

 country to himself ; but there were occasions when the 

 Squire could not go out himself, and then George 

 Carter carried the horn. Soon after his coming to 

 Tedworth he was out, in place of Mr. Smith, in the 

 Faccombe country, and on his going up to the house 

 in the evening, as he regularly did, to report progress 

 or receive orders for the following day, Mr. Smith asked 

 him why he had not killed his fox sooner, as it had 



been a long run. 



G 



