WHERE IS THE FOX? 95 



'' Well, Master," I replied, '' I see'd summit with 

 a long tail acrossing the road lower down." 



" Then why didn't you holloa ?" 



"I warn't quite sure, Master" — touching my 

 hat — " whether it were a ctir dog or a cock phea- 

 sant." 



" Hang your nonsense. Squire — where is he 

 gone ?" 



"All right now. Master — Vagabond hits him 

 off — Yoi, over they go !" and away he went over 

 a few fields into another dingle, where the fox got 

 to ground. 



" Confound you ! Squire," said Ducie, " if you 

 had halloa'd us out at first, we should have caught 

 him before he reached his earth ; what ails you 

 this morning ?" 



'' That stew^ed tench of yours last night has 

 bothered my vision not a little, and I feared mak- 

 ing a mistake, lest I might catch toco, like Sir 

 Wheeler." 



" Well, well," he replied, " I was deucedly 

 annoyed at his being headed back again into that 

 smoking-hot plantation, where the sun was full in 

 my face, without a breath of air ; but I hope he is 

 too good a fox-hunter to take offence at my hasty 

 expression ; — I will make him every apology pre- 

 sently — but now — what's to be done with this fox ?" 



