A DAY ON WHEELS 235 



totally unnecessary, imitations of the huntsman's 

 horn and holloa. 



At last the wood was drawn blank, as our 

 critical farmer friend had said would be the case, 

 and then there was a redistribution of forces. 

 Most of the carriages kept on the high road, but, 

 in company with a hunting farmer, who was taking 

 his children out for a Christmas treat, I turned 

 down a grass lane and waited. What a weary 

 wait it is, and how slowly time passes when one 

 waits in such circumstances ! Not a soul to see, 

 not a sound to disturb " the ambient air," save 

 now and again the shrill voices of the children, or 

 the more matured and sweeter tones of our young 

 lady friends in the lane. Hark ! what is that ? 

 Horses, and coming at some pace, too ; strange 

 we have not heard them find. Bah ! it is only a 

 couple of silly fellows galloping their hardest 

 because they know no better. Surely that must 

 be a scarlet coat that glinted past yon big hedge ? 

 Yes, it is, and here come the whole field, the 

 far covert having been tenantless. Now for the 

 little snug gorse at our feet. It, too, is drawn 

 blank, and then we turn away again on to the high 

 road, and trot along for some mile and a half to 

 another big wood, which the kindly huntsman had 

 told us would be his next draw. There we 

 arrived just as hounds did. Hark ! what was 

 that shout — " gone away, away " ? " It is nothing 

 but those noisy brats," said my coachman. " It is 

 the noisy brats, but they have seen a fox," was my 

 reply, for there is no mistaking the holloa of man 

 or boy who has seen a fox. And no sooner had I 

 spoken than a holloa from a well-known sportsman 

 told that he had seen him too. And there he was, 



