A NOVEL POSITION 71 



wish you would go out with us to-morrow, and help to 

 kill one." 



" Well," I said, " if such is your wish, and you think 

 I can assist you, I will remain with pleasure, although I 

 had intended hunting with my own hounds the day 

 after." 



" I am quite in earnest," was his reply, *' and will 

 mount you on the fastest hunter I have in the 

 stable." 



These preliminaries being settled, I was installed the 

 next morning in my novel situation of half huntsman, 

 half whipper-in, with carte blanche from the Master to 

 act in either capacity, as opportunity offered ; and the 

 result of our day's sport was that a brace of foxes' heads 

 were carried back to the kennel ; and a pretty smart 

 bespattering of abuse on my head from some of the gents 

 out, for knocking over two of these dodging brutes in 

 one day. 



Some people — like children — are never satisfied. Com- 

 plaints had been previously made to Villebois that the 

 foxes were not killed, and when killed they grumbled 

 because they were killed. The fact was, I believe, they 

 were annoyed at a stranger stepping in to help to finish 

 them. Now, as I went out for the express purpose of 

 blooding the hounds — having my instructions from the 

 Master what to do — I waited my opportunity, and when 

 that arrived stepped in to settle the business. 



Our first fox had every chance to break, if he would, 

 in a certain direction ; for, after knocking him about a 

 large covert until the hounds were sick of it, we got him 

 into another smaller one adjoining, where I barred him 

 back from the big wood, by placing Villebois and others 

 between them ; and as he turned sulky, and would not 



