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 Charbury. — How a 

 Goat lost its Tail, and a Squire got a Ducking. — A short Moral to 

 a long Story. — Management of Harriers in the Field. — Their two 

 greatest Faults. — Allurements of Hare -hunting. 



Jem returned in due course with the new pack, which 

 had afforded him and Tom plenty of amusement 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 incessant yelhng." 



" Send Thomas down to give them a good horse- 

 whipping, Mr. C, unless you prefer going yourself." 



Thomas was sent accordingly, and laid about him 

 right manfuUy, which stopped the row for half-an-hour. 

 Then it broke out again worse than ever. Thomas was 

 again sent down to quell the riot, which he did for the 

 time by thrashing the whole lot till he could thrash no 

 longer. All quiet for an hour, and the old Squire had 

 just dozed off into a comfortable nap, when the uproar 

 re-commenced as bad as before. 



" Confound those curs ! " cried he, " they will be the 

 death of me ; what can I do ? " 



Nf 169 



