A NOISY PACK. 237 



CHAPTER XVII. 



A Caudle Lecture by a lot of Curs. — The first and last of an 

 Angola Cat. — ** Ware cur Dog." — Over the Downs to Char- 

 bury. — How a Goat lost its Tail, and a Squire got a Duck- 

 ing. — A short Moral to a long Story. — Management of 

 Harriers in the Field. — Their two greatest Faults.— Allure- 

 ments of Hare-hunting. 



Jem returned in due course with the new pack, 

 which had afforded him and Tom plenty of amuse- 

 ment on the road (not having been outside the 

 kennel door during the last month) ; but arriving 

 very late, after his master had retired to rest, the 

 hounds were fed and left for the night, but not 

 to sleep — for sleep they would not — neither could 

 the old Squire, for their incessant barking and 

 baying, the kennel being close to the house. 



" Good heavens ! my dear," exclaimed he to his 

 wife, " what can I do with those confounded 

 curs ? They make me distracted with their inces- 

 sant yelling." 



