A DEMAND FOR COMPENSATION. 229 



purse-strings for this morning's work, which will 

 hurt him more than a sound horsewhipping." 



Trueman galloped away from the hall door, blow- 

 ing his horn incessantly, but all that answered to 

 its notes were three couples of his old hounds, 



which, having gone away with a hare for some' 



few miles, returned just then to join their master. 



The rest of the pack were weltering in their 



gore. 



The old Squire the following morning rode over 

 to consult with a friendly lawyer and brother 

 thistle-whipper how to take vengeance on the par^ 

 venu, of course giving his own version of the story 

 — " Good scenting morning— went out early, just 

 for a quiet gallop by myself— hounds ran away,'' 

 &c. &c. The usual result of conferring with a 

 limb of the law followed; action recommended 

 without delay, which pleasing intelligence was 

 conveyed to the great man by the same day's post 

 — or compensation— say one hundred pounds. 



This sum being considered enormous by Mr. 

 Bragg, who knew the value of money, and was 

 not to be imposed upon, nothing remained but to 

 fight it out with the aid of the big wigs. The 

 assizes drew on, but in the interim a rise in the 

 market value of harriers took place. Lord Har- 

 binger's pack had been sold at Tattersall's for one 



