A Quit ST/ON OF Bits g 



to the right. Towards this hounds have s^YUllg. As 

 they are going, one side of the fence is as good as the 

 other, so, no doubt with bitter reluctance, he follows after 

 the farmers, goes through the gate — the mare does not 

 mind this — and is not quite the last into the covert for 

 which the fox has made. This covert is newly planted, 

 and the quarry does not dwell. Charlton, who is just 

 before him, turns abruptly to the left. The trainer and 

 his children, Oakley, and one or tw^o more follow, as 

 does Lawford, and before the latter knows where he 

 is he has jumped a really awkward fence, newdy and 

 strongly made up, with a ditch on both sides. 



So they go, well up with hounds, towards a low post 

 and rails, wdiich the leaders clear in their stride. As they 

 approach Lawford feels a hesitation in the mare's galloj) ; 

 a cut from the whip and a vicious dig of the spurs she 

 only answers by a shake of the head. She comes down 

 to it, and deliberately refuses. There is no gate here ; it 

 is a very long way to hounds by any other road except 

 over, and over the mare will not go. He does all he knows, 

 but he does not know enough to succeed. It was in 

 consequence of her form in the hunting-field, in no way 

 spoilt by her experiences between the flags, that Lawford 

 had bought her, for a long price, when she got a bit too 

 slow for chasing. She had never gone quite kindly with 

 him. They had enjoyed some fair runs — she seemed to 

 like it, but lately had got more and more awkward; 

 had refused to jump, and bolted with him, an occurrence 

 the repetition of which he determined to prevent by 

 providing the severest bit he could come across. Yet 

 she could jump, as her manner of crossing that fence 

 out of the plantation had shown. Lawford used strong 

 language in vain. When hounds were out of sight his 



