The Sport of Our Ancestors 



most huntsmen — having accompHshed his object in stopping 

 the hounds, pretended to cast about with great diligence. 

 He crossed the road, and was down one side of a field and 

 along another, looking anxiously for the Captain. ' The 

 fox has gone on to the gorse,' said the elder Botsey ; * what 

 a stupid old pig he is ' — meaning that Tony Tuppett was 

 the pig. 



' He was seen going on,* said Larry, who had come 

 across a man mending a drain. 



* It would be his run, of course,' said Hampton, who was 

 generally up to Tony's wiles, but who was now as much in 

 the dark as others. Then four or five rode up to the hunts- 

 man, and told him that the fox had been seen heading for 

 the gorse. Tony said not a word, but bit his lips and 

 scratched his head and bethought himself what fools men 

 might be even though they did ride well to hounds. One 

 word of explanation would have settled it all, but he 

 would not speak that word till he whispered it to Captain 

 Glomax. 



In the meantime there was a crowd in the road waiting 

 to see the result of Tony's manceuvres. And then, as is 

 usual on such occasions, a little mild repartee went about — 

 what sportsmen themselves would have called * chaff.' Ned 

 Botsey came up, not having broken his horse's back, as had 

 been rumoured, but having had to drag the brute out of the 

 brook with the help of two countrymen, and the Major was 

 asked about his fall till he was forced to open his mouth. 

 * Double ditch ; — mare fell ; — matter of course.' And then 

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