SULTAN. 43 



morning, Tom," Waller said to the head groom, " so brush 

 him over and tidy him up a bit, and tell Parker he must get 

 the foreman's mare to take the cake to the sheep with." 



The meet was some seven or eight miles' distant, but Mr. 

 Waller arrived in g-ood time for the few minutes' conversation 

 with Miss Bellermy, and golden minutes they were to him. 

 Topham, the groom, had smartened Sultan up as best he 

 could by a little extra grooming, and by pulling his mane 

 and squaring his tail, but he looked somewhat rough at the 

 best. 



" Good morning, Mr. Waller," said a sweet voice as that 

 gentleman approached a little knot of men surrounding a 

 lady on a thoroughbred mare. " Why, where's the Friar 

 this morning ?" 



" Good morning, Miss Bellermy. Grey Friar came out a 

 bit lame yesterday, and is no better to-day, I am sorry to 

 say, so I am obliged to rest him. Reduced to the shepherd's 

 horse, you see, so no fun for me to-day." 



" He looks a bit rough in his coat, certainly," said Miss 

 Bellermy. " But he is made like a hunter, and ought to carry 

 you if only he can gallop and jump." The young farmer 

 edged his way close up to the young lady, and in a very 

 short time they were left to themselves. What they said to 

 each other has nothing to do with Sultan's story, nor has 

 the business which his owner had with the Master and the 

 other followers of the Brockleness Hounds. What we want 

 to take notice of is the manner in which Sultan seized his 

 opportunity, and leapt from a shepherd's horse to a hunter at 

 one bound. 



There was a good field out, and in a few minutes the Master 

 gave the order to move off to draw. It was a capital little 

 gorse covert situated on a gentle slope, and as there was not 

 another covert for six miles, there was bound to be a gallop 

 if it held a good fox. The Master marshalled his field at the 



