A DESPERATE MAN. 155 



A DESPERATE MAN. 



They had a very pretty thing- that morning — a quick 

 find; with half-an-hour hard and fast tacked on to it — 

 then a little slow hunting, and at him again for twenty 

 minutes more, ^^ heads up and sterns down/' as the saying- 

 is, wound up with a very handsome kill in the open. 

 Everybody allowed it was a pretty thing, except " the 

 Major/' who having gone rather better than best, put it 

 down at once as '^ an almighty run and nothing else, sir." 



The Major was altogether a model man — an officer and 

 a gentleman — a gentleman and a sportsman — a couple of 

 combinations that, whatever anybody may say to the 

 contrar}^, we hold to contain no little amount of useful 

 and enviable accomplishment. The Major was a hand- 

 some man, too, and a " gallant " Major, moreover, without 

 any humbugacious, or pro forma use of the term ; so 

 that, when he sent up his name to the Squire, to say 

 that he had called for a dinner — boots, spurs, and all — 

 if the ladies would allow him, the said ladies gave three 

 small cheers, as a free pardon and hearty welcome to the 

 unexpected arrival who was showing himself in. 



" It was a most almighty run, sir, said the Major 

 again, as he took the first glass of the second bottle. 



The Squire was in a bit of a fix, for he had got the 

 gout, and couldn't ride or drink either ; so there he sat, 

 hearing how the Major had done one and seeing how he 

 did do the other. Our honourable friend, if anything, 



