64 EACECOUESE AND COVEET SIDE. 



ing — not mucli hunting, and still less cub — my 

 friend Hyde sent me — a sojourner as I was in 

 the land — a cheery invitation to dine and hunt 

 next morning, to come as early as possible, so 

 that we could have a look for some birds in the 

 afternoon, and to bring a horse or not as I hked. 

 I rode over in good time on the estimable beast 

 that does willing service as hack or hunter, and 

 the pursuit and bagging of a few brace of par- 

 tridges, a couple of hares, and haK a dozen 

 rabbits occupied a long afternoon. We dined, 

 three friends reinforcing the party, and as we 

 smoked after dinner I suddenly recalled to mind 

 that the hounds met at Bridgeby, a long fifteen 

 miles away. 



" By-the-by, we shall have to start early," 

 I said. " Bridgeby is a long way off." 



"Yes," Hyde answered, with a shade of 

 hesitating confusion in his voice ; " but we are 

 not going with the Wessex. Poult meets at the 

 White Doe, just the other side of Coltsford." 



Now, Hyde, without anything even distantly 

 approaching to swagger or pretence, was one of 

 the most critical of sportsmen, and I had seen 

 quite enough of Squire Poult's hounds to wonder 

 greatly what this might mean. 



Presently, however, Hyde retired to dig up 

 a box of special cigars ; and Sutcliffe, one of our 



