THE DAY AFTER THE BALL 221 



them where there was plenty of jumping. After a 

 three-miles gallop the covert was reached, and as 

 he sent his first whipper-in round to the far side of 

 it, I heard him say, " Don't make any unnecessary 

 noise, Jim, when you view the fox away; I shall 

 hear you." And to give Jim his due he didn't. 

 It was very unlike one of Jim's cheery view 

 holloas, but it served its purpose. For, with the 

 majority of the field, the ball was still the absorb- 

 ing topic, and the huntsman was a couple of fields 

 away with his hounds before the bulk of his 

 followers realised that a fox had gone away. But 

 he was blowing his horn lustily, trust Harry for 

 that. And then for thirty bright minutes hounds 

 ran hard with an improved scent, and ran into 

 their fox in the open, to the great satisfaction of 

 all who were present. 



I rode home part of the way with the hunts- 

 man, and we talked over the events of the day. I 

 pointed out that scent had improved as the day 

 wore on, and mildly remonstrated with him for 

 " leaving " his field. " Bless you, sir," said he, "there 

 was always a fair scent if the gentlemen would have 

 given hounds a chance. The only way as I could 

 get a start with my fox was to get a start of them, 

 and soon as hounds settled I did blow my horn 

 well. You see it's always the way arter these balls. 

 The young gentlemen sits up a bit late, and they 

 want to show the young ladies what clever fellows 

 they are. And the ladies they take it cool enough. 

 Somehow the women always do take these sort of 

 things quieter than the men do ; they see it all the 

 time, though they don't appear to, and it's my 

 belief that makes the men ride all the harder. I'll 

 always maintain that there should be no balls in the 



