168 SPORTING STORIES 



a fox near Beauford Moor and pressed him in covert so 

 sharply that he turned short and broke away, unknown to 

 Russell, down wind. Losing sight of the pack, and fancy- 

 ing he viewed a tail-hound at the extreme end of the moor, 

 he rode there and found an Irish packman, Peter Dougan 

 by name, standing on a bank, and blown by the chase, 

 but still staring after it with bated breath and longing eyes. 



" Have you seen the hounds, my man ? " Russell in- 

 quired. 



"Iss, your honour; they're just ahead, running like a 

 peal of bells." 



" Then jump up behind me, pack and all," said Russell, 

 charmed with the man's enthusiasm for hunting. " Jump 

 up, and you shall see a bit more of the sport." 



"Bedad then," said Peter, "that I'll do"; and as 

 Russell pulled Cottager up to the bank, Peter and his pack 

 took their place behind the cantle, notwithstanding the 

 broad hints of displeasure displayed by the horse, which 

 kicked furiously, never stopping till he had fairly floored 

 Peter and his pack. 



Not long after, when Russell was riding his horse 

 Monkey, Peter again met him, and said he had a great 

 favour to ask, and that was, that he would allow him to 

 ride that horse over a five-barred gate, with his hands tied 

 behind his back, his face to the horse's tail, and without 

 saddle or bridle. " And," said Peter entreatingly, " I'll 

 give ye my pack, sir, if ye'll let me do it ; and, by me 

 sowl, 'tis worth five pounds." 



Russell inquired why he was so anxious to do this, 

 pointing out to him the danger. 



" Faix, your honour," replied Peter, " I should like to tell 

 'em what I've done in England when I get back to the 

 Quid Country." 



Monkey with hounds, and in a good temper, would jump 

 any ordinary five-barred gate, but otherwise wouldn't rise at 

 a fender. " Had I granted his request," said Russell, " the 

 horse would have broken Peter's neck for a certainty." 



Once, when he brought his hounds into Cornwall for his 

 annual fortnight there, whilst racing their fox to the 

 boundary fence of the moor above Trebartha, the hounds 



