1881—82.] LIFE AND DEATH. 429 



gone for Hoby ! " " Thank you, my jolly man ; that's news 

 indeed, but don't holloa." " But I see'd him ! " What better 

 argument ? I'oxliunting will have lost its hold on the country, 

 when worldng men look glundy at the passing chase, and 

 refrain from shouting and running while breath will hold out. 

 Past the right of Ragdale Hall — and miles of undulating grass 

 in front. At last there are riders in the same field with the 

 pack ; for Mr. Brocklehurst has come with a rush on the little 

 hog-maned chestnut, and Mr. Adair and Mr. Harter range 

 alongside almost simultaneously. Down the gentle slojie they 

 ride for Hoby, with only easy flying fences in their i^ath, and 

 the best of firm turf underfoot. Once with hounds they have 

 no difficulty in keeping with them over such ground — brilliant 

 as is the scent. Firr and the Master are just joining the van, 

 and rise at a strong stake-and-bound almost side by side. But 

 while the former takes ofi:" from the top of a ridge, the latter has 

 to jump out of a wet furrow, and meets with a crushing fall — 

 breaking a rib, and sustaining severe bruises on frame and face. 

 Swinging leftward up the hill to the Hoby and Ragdale road, 

 the hounds cross it exactly where they are said to have done in 

 the famous Bobtail Run of 1867, oft alluded to — when, starting 

 as now from Walton Thorns, they ran this exact line and killed 

 their fox unhelped in fifty-three minutes from the find. As they 

 stream up the green hillside, their nearest followers are to be 

 seen crossing another watery dingle, that must have stopped 

 them all but for that lucky bridge. Captain Mol^aieux and 

 Mr. E. Chaplin strike in from the upper ground; and these 

 six seem to have the horizon to themselves. A village post- 

 man, who ought to have delivered his letters hours ago, has 

 tm-ned the fox fifty yards down the road (and, no doubt, held 

 him away from Slioby Scoles as his point) ; but the scent is 

 good enough to meet any such little difficulty, and the hunt 

 moves on without dela}'. Tlie village of Hoby is thus left 

 three fields to the right ; a farmer and all his merrie men, 

 hearing the coming fray, have turned out to view Re3'nard 

 struggling past the clump of trees which forms so prominent 



