376 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



going at his best pace, and fully prepared to do the 

 run out on foot if the necessity arose for so doing ; 

 but his bold resolve was nipped in the bud, greatly 

 to his consolation, by seeing his darlings whisking 

 their sterns about the cow-house, and hearing one 

 or two well-known tongues baying within. 



" All right," spluttered Will, as he rose up, after 

 an unexpected surge into a cesspool, into which he 

 had fallen when scrambling over a low wall ; " we 

 have him now to a dead certainty, although I'm 

 pretty well stifled by that villanous cow slush. 

 Well, it don't much signify; the pink's dyed purple, 

 that's all bah ! I stinks like bad baccy." 



"Holloa, master!" cried Jem, who just then 

 made his appearance on foot. tf What's the matter?" 



" Nothing particular, Jem, only a dip into the 

 mucksum, which aint quite so pleasant as rose- 

 water : but here he is, behind these boardings in the 

 cow-house, so lend a hand to pull one of 'em up." 



This operation being speedily completed, the fox 

 bolted out amongst the hounds, and was as speedily 

 dispatched, by which time John Staveley had arrived 

 in the farmyard leading Headman's beaten horse. 



" Here he is, squire," exclaimed that individual, 

 holding the fox over his head until he reached a 

 clean bit of grass outside the walls ; " and I think, 

 squire, you'd like to have his brush, stickcd and 

 labelled, and hung up in your hull amongst t'other 

 celebrated trophies of that kind; and I must say, 

 squire, you've well deserved it." 



" Be that as it may, Will, I would not have 

 missed this brush for a live-pound note; and so now 



