A SECOND FOX. 151 



who feels liis hounds have abeady done theu' duty. *^ As 

 you please. There can be no harm, at any rate, in just 

 drawing* these firs the Captain seems so certain about." 



The honourable is ^* quite sure there can't." Even 

 Muster Yeomans agTees '* we may as well draw 'em now 

 we are here" ; and so, with an echo of his master's smile. 

 Will g-ives the Captain a nod, and on we g*o for " the Firs." 



" They are going to find a second fox/' says Prudence, 

 ^^ and my nag* has had quite his fair allowance with the 

 first, and so I'll wish you g-ood afternoon." 



^^But perhaps they wonH find him," returns some more 

 accommodating' spirit than most men have under their 

 waistcoats. *^ Old Closeshave is a jolly old humbug*, 

 everybody knows ; and he is only too anxious to get us 

 away from his sherry — and I dare say there is no fox 

 there. Besides, the hounds' way home is my way, and 

 society to a g-ood fellow isn't exactly a thing* to be thrown 

 away — and, anyhow, the top of that hill isn't so much 

 out—" 



^^— Oh, if you come to that," interrupts Prudence, a 

 little roughly, '^ I ain't g'oing* to make a bother about it; 

 let's go home with the hounds, or away with the hounds, 

 as it happens. / don't care, if the mare don't." 



" Well, the mare doesn't seem near so much out of sorts 

 as you do, my friend ; and so we will g*o. Here, give us 

 alight. Squire ; and let us enjoy this view at the top, if 

 we can't get a view of the Captain's fox." 



But Will is ready to do that for us, too, if it is to be 

 done ; so — *^ Loo in there, my lads. Eu I at him ag*ain. 

 Conqueror, my man. Eul push him up there. Get on 

 — g-et on to him again, my merry ones !" 



It is a fine exhilarating scene, at any time — the drawing 

 for a fox in a good country; but it scarcely looks so well 



