FoX-HuNTlNG 205 



know he must be right, and with one accord crash 

 through the undergrowth to convince themselves. 



The fox has, indeed, just been there. The master 

 sits on his horse at the corner of the covert, together 

 with the bulk of the field ; at the other corner is a smaller 

 group, Johnny Green, who has not cared about meeting 

 his rebuker's eye, among them. If the fox will only 

 break away over the line of country between these two 

 bodies of horsemen— each of which is a little way back 

 from the corner, so that if the fox pokes his sharp nose 

 out, he can see nobody — there will be every probability of 

 a famous run. A few keen and experienced eyes can 

 see the wily beast gliding and insinuating himself round 

 the trunks of the trees — now plunging into and then 

 emerging from a patch of fern or bramble which 

 momentarily hides him. He is making for the very 

 point at which observers hope he will break ; he has 

 reached the hedge, and is about to slip over the ditch, 

 and so away across the meadow. Look how stealthily 

 he goes, with ears pricked, and keen eyes which see 

 everything that is to be seen ! Jack, the first whipper- 

 in, a little in advance of the group, is all on the alert, 

 and as soon as the fox is well away across the meadow 

 and through the opposite fence he will give a wild, 

 exultant shriek, and lustily raise the cry, ' Gone away ! ' 

 Men are settling down in their saddles and arranging 

 their reins ; Tommy Stout's heart is beating quickly, 

 for he understands the situation, as does his pony, which 

 is reaching out its head, anxious to be off — when sud- 

 denly the fox turns round, and gJitles back into the 

 covert. 



What alarmed him ^ Everybody sees too plainly. It 

 is Johnny Green, of course. It had suddenly occurred 



