Jinthony Trollope 



Botsey were standing near the carriage ; but the Captain, as 

 soon as he heard this, broke into a trot and followed the 

 hounds. 



' Some of us are very wet,' said Ned. * That 's part of 

 the fun.' 



' Oh ; — that 's part of the fun. You found one fox dead 

 and you didn't kill another because you didn't try. Well ; 

 Mr. Morton, I don't think I shall take to fox-hunting even 

 though they should introduce it to Mickewa. What 's 

 become of the rest of the men ? ' 



' Most of them are in the brook,' said Ned Botsey as he 

 rode on towards Dillsborough. 



Mr. Runciman was also there and trotted on homewards 

 with Botsey, Larry, and Kate Masters. ' I think I 've won 

 my bet,' said the hotel-keeper. 



' I don't see that at all. We didn't find in Dillsborough 

 Wood.' 



' I say we did find in Dillsborough Wood. We found a 

 fox, though unfortunately the poor brute was dead.' 



' The bet 's off, I should say. What do you say, Larry ? ' 



Then Runciman argued his case at great length and with 

 much ability. It had been intended that the bet should be 

 governed by the fact whether Dillsborough Wood did or did 

 not contain a fox on that morning. He himself had backed 

 the wood, and Botsey had been strong in his opinion against 

 the wood. Which of them had been practically right 1 

 Had not the presence of the poisoned fox shown that he was 

 right } ' I think you ought to pay,' said Larry. 



279 



