i62 BRAGG'S PERPLEXITY 



" What, sir ? " asked the keeper in amazement, " shoot 

 Squire Trueman's harriers ? Why, sir, we should never 

 hear the last of it — ^it maun't be done." 



" But I say," replied the great man, waxing hot with 

 wrath, " it shall be done — shoot them, sir — kill them — 

 or I'll discharge you this moment." 



" Very well, your honour," said Killfox (not relishing 

 the idea of losing a capital situation), " your orders shall 

 be obeyed ; only, begging your honour's pardon, I am a 

 married man, with five small children, and can't afford 

 to stand no law costs." 



" That's my concern, sir," retorted the master, " hang 

 the law costs ! " 



Exit Killfox, — ^who in ten minutes afterwards, assisted 

 by the under-keeper, commenced a hattue on the devoted 

 harriers. Meanwhile, Squire Trueman, anticipating the 

 denouement of his plot, had taken a little circuit round 

 the country, until he heard the guns going in and about 

 the home woods, when, thinking the time had arrived 

 for his appearance on the scene of action, he set spurs to 

 his horse, riding furiously, to make it appear he had arrived 

 with a blown horse, as if from a considerable distance. 



The first blast of old Trueman's horn as he neared 

 the covert sent Killfox into the thickest part of the wood, 

 where he lay perdu, leaving the under-keepers to 

 encounter Trueman's anger, which burst forth with 

 dire anathemas against master and men, when he beheld 

 his hounds lying dead before him. After venting im- 

 precations on the head of one of the understrappers 

 he met in the drive, who merely pleaded in defence his 

 master's orders, Trueman rode direct to the house, and 

 giving a ratthng pull at the hall bell, demanded to see 

 Mr. Bragg. 



