His Own Petard 89 



pleasantest young fellow in the country — had been guilty 

 of that offence. To see Charlton up to his ears, or old 

 Lopdell half smothered — the second half of the operation 

 for choice — would have delighted Perkinson. ' Some of 

 the gentlemen will get into a mess ! ' How could he 

 manage that this should happen ? If only there were a 

 fox, and if he only would take such a line that half-a- 

 dozen or so of those whom he regarded as his enemies 

 would get into one of those treacherous bogs ! All of a 

 sudden an idea struck him. The fox should be made to 

 take such a line ; or, at least, something that would 

 answer the purpose of a fox. He called his huntsman 

 to his side. 



' Do you know, Bob,' he said, with what he intended 

 for a smile, ' I shouldn't be half sorry if some of the 

 gentlemen did get into a mess ? It would teach Mr. 

 Hedworth not to press hounds, and give some of the 

 others a useful lesson.' What they were to learn was 

 not very clear, but that did not matter. ' They are 

 always grumbling that they never get a gallop, and I've 

 a mind to give them a good one. We'll just lay a bit of 

 a drag for them, across one of these bogs ; and then,' he 

 said, with a singularly unsuccessful attempt to bring out 

 the humorous side of the business, ' we'll see the fun.' 



Bob hesitated a moment, while his master glanced at 

 him sharply ; then the servant touched his cap, and 

 essayed also to smile. He dared not call his soul his own, 

 Charlton had said, and if he did not like the idea he 

 certainly had not the courage to express dissent or doubt. 

 Then the plot was arranged. A drag should be laid, 

 crossing — as awkwardly as could be managed — the 

 blackest and deepest of these quagmires ; it was to be 

 laid in the worst part of a cunning curve, so that the 



