The Sport of Our ^Ancestors 



than that ? ' At this moment Tony with the hounds at his 

 heels was trotting across the park at a huntsman's usual pace 

 from covert to covert. The Senator was certainly un- 

 gracious. Nothing that he saw produced from him a single 

 word expressive of satisfaction. 



Less than a mile brought them to the gate and road 

 leading up to Chowton Farm. They passed close by Larry 

 Twentyman's door, and not a few, though it was not yet 

 more than half-past eleven, stopped to have a glass of Larry's 

 beer. When the hounds were in the neighbourhood Larry's 

 beer was always ready. But Tony and his attendants 

 trotted by with eyes averted, as though no thought of beer 

 was in their minds. Nothing had been done, and a hunts- 

 man is not entitled to beer till he has found a fox. Captain 

 Glomax followed with Lord Rufford and a host of others. 

 There was plenty of way here for carriages, and half a dozen 

 vehicles passed through Larry's farmyard. Immediately 

 behind the house was a meadow, and at the bottom of the 

 meadow a stubble field, next to which was the ditch and 

 bank which formed the bounds of Dillsborough Wood. 

 Just at this side of the gate leading to the stubble field there 

 was already a concourse of people when Tony arrived near 

 it with the hounds, and immediately there was a holloaing 

 and loud screeching of directions, which was soon under- 

 stood to mean that the hounds were at once|to be taken 

 away ! The Captain rode on rapidly, and then sharply gave 

 his orders. Tony was to take the hounds back to Mr. 

 Twentyman's farmyard as fast as he could, and shut them 

 258 



