1871—72.] AFTER THE HARBOKOUGH BALL. 51 



and they are heard no more. Three stray hounds are mixed 

 up in, and carried along with, the living torrent. With the 

 dash and courage for which the Pytchley ladies are so famous, 

 they are racing through their horses to get to the front, when 

 one galloper, more reckless than his comrades, rushes on to 

 their backs, and the iron feet deal a deathblow to the best. 

 Lay her on the turf bank and raise her head. Her tongue is 

 black and her eyes are dull and thick. One wistful moaning 

 cry she utters, and the good bitch is dead. 



Meanwhile, what is happening on the other side ? Not 

 a hound stopped to shake herself as she issued from her chilly 

 bath. Every tongue was going impatiently as they swam the 

 stream, and shiny and dripping they glanced away at once. 

 For two fields they were alone, and then they cut into the 

 bridle road, between Arthingworth and Loatland Wood, which 

 runs parallel with the brook, and along wliich the field had 

 passed on their way to the stubbles where they found. Thus 

 some half-dozen of the rear-guard, under the impression that 

 Sunderland Wood was about to be drawn, and respectful of 

 Mr. Cave Humphrey's knowledge of the country, had followed 

 his lead to go round by the village of Arthingworth, and so 

 had never crossed the fatal brook. The alarm of fire on board 

 ship spreads no quicker than do the words " They've found!" 

 among the crowd of the hunting field. The cunning idlers 

 saw at once they had outwitted themselves, made up their 

 minds that their sport was lost, but galloped back along the 

 bridle road to watch the panorama across the valley. They 

 saw the field quickly scatter and expand as the hounds flitted 

 down the slope to the water ; and they marked the bafiled 

 leaders, checked suddenly by the flood, roaming up and down 

 its banks for the possibility of a fly. The hounds are hid 

 from their sight for some moments, and they canter on for 

 Loatland Wood, when suddenly the pack dash across them not 

 a hundred yards in front, and they find themselves in a posi- 

 tion that their dilatory carelessness ill deserves. .They must 

 ride now if they are men ; and to do their duty now may make 



£ 2 



