108 A SHARP BURST AND A HARD RUN. 



(llnier, half recurring to his first idea that he had been 

 riding against a Hottentot. 



" Somewhere in Southern Africa, I believe, near 

 the Cape," answered Beaufort, gravely. ^'But what 

 the deuce are the hounds about. It is a curious at- 

 fault this." 



Osbaldiston had made by this time a short cast for- 

 vrard in the line of the Coplow, but not hitting it off, 

 was coming back at full trot, with the ladies at his 

 heels. 



" Overrun it, I fancy," he squealed, as he passed 

 them, " and laid up in the osier holt. Eleu-in ! Eleu- 

 in there, good lasses !" 



And in an instant the osier holt was crashing as the 

 high-strung pack dashed into it, and the next moment 

 made ring with a full-mouthed chorus. 



" Have at him there ! Hark a-wa-ay !" and a 

 " whoop" of a countryman at the other end followed, 

 and all who had dismounted sprang back into their 

 saddles. 



" Exactly three minutes to a second," said Mus- 

 grave, as he put up his watch ; " but it's a cursed bore 

 his running back to those out-siders." 



But even as he spoke. Jack Stevens' rate was heard 

 from the other end, " Hark back ! Hark back, I tell 

 you Charity ! Get away. Bedlam Bess ! Ha-rk back!" 

 followed by the sharp reports of his heavy whip ; and 

 at the next instant, black with sweat, tongue out, and 

 brush down, the hunted fox dodged out under their 

 very horses' feet, and skurrying through them unhurt, 

 went away on his old line as good as new. 



" Whoop ! gone-away, whoop !" shrieked the Squire; 

 and at that well known yell, " the ladies" came 

 streaming up and away again, breast-high for the 

 Coplow. 



"A fresh fox went away back, sir," said Jack Ste- 

 vens, " and the place was so foiled with the ould devil, 



