1.V2 THE HUNTING IIEI.D 



soft horse has had a " benefit," and the sweat runs down his 

 legs and over his hoofs. " I wish I mayn't be giving him too 

 much,'" thinks Peter, eyeing his distended nostrils and heaving 

 flanks, as he turns his head to the wind. 



The barley for malting then comes across his mind, and it 

 strikes him he's been riding away from it. " It's been a grand 

 gallop," says he to himself, running its beauties through his 

 mind, " / wisli tlieyd killed him." 



" Well, I suppose I must be going," saj-s Peter to himself, 

 laying hold of his stirrup preparatory to mounting. Just as he 

 gains his saddle the hounds begin to feather and Peter's eye to 

 twinkle. 



" T/iry are on liiiii again !" exclaims he, in ecstasies, as 

 gathering his reins with one hand, he brandishes his stick with 

 the other, and spurs the well-lathered nag into a trot. 



Another instant, and with heads up and sterns down, the 

 hounds race along the hedgerow. Peter forgets all about the 

 barley for malting, his attention being riveted on the hounds. 

 There are seldom two bursts in a run, and the second part 

 exhibits their hunting qualities rather than their speed. No 

 man innatel}' imbued with the passion for hunting could be 

 expected to leave hounds under such circumstances, and if 

 Peter's mission had been ten million times more important 

 than the mere purchase of barley for malting, we feel assured 

 he would stand acquitted with our readers for forgetting it. 

 Not that Peter did exactly forget it, for Dustbin, the sporting 

 miller, declares he heard him exclaim, as his freshened hunter 

 took a flying leap over a bullfinch and brook, " Hang the 

 barley ! I dare say it isn't tvorth havi-ig ! " 



Thus Peter coaxed himself on from point to point, now 

 declaring he would go another day, now deluding himself that 

 the hounds were bending his way, now turning his horse as if he 

 was absolutely leaving, when, as luck would have it, the hounds 

 invariably turned the same wav, and Peter was in for it again. 



