A Run 125 



is clear. Nothing is visible or audible on the line to- 

 wards which his sharp nose points, so in a moment he 

 is swinging across the field with easy stride, making fair 

 haste, but not hurrying out of his collected pace. 



Then, when he is through the hedge beyond and 

 stealing over the plough, his bright red fur in contrast 

 to the dull hue of the soil, Tom puts his finger to his ear 

 and gives vent to a screech which causes horses and men 

 alike to prick up their ears. Tom's sharp eyes have 

 done good service ; * Tally-ho ! Gone away ! ' is the cry ; 

 but he only just anticipated the hounds. Tuneable had 

 already spoken and informed her gossips that a fox had 

 lately been in the immediate neighbourhood, but she 

 was heading away from his last resting-place. Phyllis 

 had acknowledged the correctness of the discovery, when 

 Dairymaid had dashed past her and thrust her nose 

 into the very bed that had been just vacated, a discovery 

 which she proclaimed with eager delight. Her sister 

 Damsel, who really did not know anything at all about 

 it, had not enjoyed the faintest whitf of fox, but was 

 ready to declare that she had, chimed in, and the pack 

 was rushing forward to investigate Dairymaid's assertion 

 when the ' Tally-ho ! ' had sounded and set all doubts at 

 rest. The huntsman takes his horse by the head and 

 crashes through the young trees, over the stubs and half 

 over half through the fence which separates the covert 

 from the field. The pack is nearing the fence beyond ; 

 round each side of the covert comes a string of horsemen ; 

 others, who have been in the covert, make the best of 

 their way to the fence the huntsman has charged, their 

 horses blundering about in a manner vrhich makes them 

 admire the ease with which Bill's favourite gets over 

 such ground as this just as if it were a level meadow. 



