THE CHASE OF THE HIND. 183 



gorse and plantation, and on to the boulders and 

 heather of Dunkery. *'They haven't changed," says 

 Arthur exultingly, for "Telegram," who has led 

 throughout, has now given place to *' Druid ; " the old 

 hounds are striding away in front, and the end is at 

 hand. '' Tally ho ! " They have caught a view, but 

 she turns down into the short plantations below us, 

 and in the thicket she has by sheer weight the advan- 

 tage of the hounds. And now every hound is speaking 

 as the pack struggles mad with impatience through 

 the tangled underwood. She is heading back for 

 Horner, but will never reach it. A road runs down 

 through the middle of the plantation with a deep 

 watercourse alongside. We push on as we hear them 

 approaching it, and trot down to meet them as they 

 cross. The chorus swells louder and louder, and 

 suddenly a brown body crashes with the strength of 

 despair through the thicket into the watercourse, blun- 

 ders down to the bottom, and staggers down the 

 stream. In a moment the opening is filled with old 

 "Druid's" white body, "Brusher" and "Barrister" 

 tumble over him to the bottom, the rest over them, 

 and in ten seconds more the hind, drowned and dead 

 but unbitten, is hauled out from the middle of them, 

 the water having swept the leading hounds over her 



