332 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



covert just above it. He may have stopped there 

 a minute or two to look down on the pretty scenery 

 below, seeing no cause to be in a hurry, as gentle- 

 men tourists do, when time's no object." 



" He is too far in advance, Will Headman, to be 

 handled by you, notwithstanding your jokes/' 



" Then, joking apart, Squire, I intend to mask 

 him before sun-down." 



The fox had waited a few minutes in the covert, 

 and when he poked his nose out the other side into 

 a fallow field, where a plough-team was at work, a 

 shrill scream from a cart-boy caused him to poke it 

 in again, and hearing shooters along a hedgerow the 

 other side of the fence, he deemed it prudent not to 

 risk exposure to fire in that direction. Up wind he 

 did not wish to go ; so perforce he was obliged to 

 consider awhile what course to pursue, and then tack 

 round again for his point. Will Headman's rattlers 

 improved their pace considerably by this movement, 

 and the fast men began to press them. 



" Steady, gentlemen, if you please," cried their 

 huntsman, " they arn't going to run away from us 



yet." 



"And I'll take good care they don't," muttered 

 Sam Coventry, riding in atop of old Jasper, as he 

 was jumping the fence, 



" Hold hard, sir ! " vociferated the master. " I 

 won't allow my hounds to be knocked over in that 

 fashion by you, sir, or anybody." 



" Beg pardon, sir, but my horse pulled so, I could 

 not hold him." 



"Then ride wider of them, Mr. Coventry; the 



