ROUGH WORDS 69 



" So I thought," was the rejoinder, " at seeing such a 

 confounded old fool stuck up in the middle of the road ! ' ' 



Sir Wheeler " demittit auriculas, ut iniquce mentis 

 asellus cum gravius dor so suhiit onus," i.e., Anglice, he 

 winced a good deal on being thus assailed, and jogging 

 down to where I was sitting on horse-back under a tree, 

 expressed his grievance very indignantly, declaring his 

 intention of returning home directly. 



'* Pooh, nonsense ! " I said, " you must make allow- 

 ances for a man's warmth of temper such a hot piping 

 morning as this." 



" Would you like to be called a confounded old fool ? " 

 asked the still chafing baronet. 



" Perhaps not," was my reply ; " but I shall be called 

 a young one pretty soon, if we sit talking here together, 

 and head the fox again ; so you take my position under 

 the tree, where there is shade, and a little breeze to cool 

 your excitement, whilst I go lower down." 



I had not moved long to my new place of observation 

 before " viewed the fox stealing stealthily over the road, 

 and jumping the fence, he went away across the next 

 field ; some five minutes after, the hounds feathered out 

 into the road a few yards above the line of the fox, and 

 Lord Ducie with them. 



"Seen the fox. Squire?" (the name by which he 

 generally called me) he asked very quickly. 



" Well, Master," I repUed, " 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 cur dog or a cock pheasant." 



** Hang your nonsense. Squire — where is he gone? " 



" All right now, Master — Vagabond hits him off — Yoi, 



