164 WARWICK WOODLANDS. 



your feet. You would for sartain! But look, look! — 

 what the plague's Harry goin' at?" 



For when he saw that Forester had now, for some reason 

 or other, no farther means of stopping the stag's career^ 

 Archer had set spurs to his horse, and dashed away at 

 a hard furious gallop after the wounded buck. The 

 hounds, which had lost sight of it as it leaped a high 

 stone wall with much brush round the base of it, were 

 running fast and furious on the scent — but still, though 

 flagging somewhat in his speed, the stag was leaving 

 them. He had turned, as the last shot struck his horns, 

 down hiU, as if to cross the valley; but immediately, as 

 if perceiving that he had passed the last of his enemies, 

 turned up again toward the mountain, describing an are, 

 almost, in fact, a semi-circle, from the point where he had 

 broken covert to that — another guUy, a perhaps a short 

 mile's distance — from which he was now aiming. 



Across the chord, then, of this arc, Harry was driving 

 furiously, with the intent, as it would seem, to cut him 

 off from the gulley — the stone wall crossed his line, but 

 not a second did he pause for it, but gave his horse both 

 spurs, and lifting him a little, landed him safely at the 

 other side. Frank mounted rapidly, dashed after him* 



and soon passed A , who was less aptly mounted for a 



chase — he likewise topped the wall, and disappeared be- 

 yond it, though the stones flew, where the bay struck the 

 coping with his heels. 



All pluck to the back-bone, the Commodore craned not 

 nor hesitated, but dashed the colt, for the first time in his 

 life, at the high barrier — he tried to stop, but could not, 

 so powerfully did this rider cram him — leaped short, and 

 tumbled head over heels, carrying half the wall with him, 

 and leaving a gap as if a wagon had passed through it — 

 to Tom's astonishment and agony — for he supposed the 

 colt destroyed forever. 



Scarcely, however, had A — — gained his feet, before 

 a sight met his eyes, which made him leave the colt, and 

 run as fast as his legs could carry him toward the scene 

 of action. 



The stag, seeing his human enemy so near, had strained 

 every nerve to escape, and Harry, desperately rash and 

 daring, seeing he could not turn or head him, actually 



