FoX-HUNTING 207 



place a little to the right of the pack. There are no 

 hounds for the whipper-in to bring on, for all have got 

 well away, and there is Tomni}^ galloping a little behind 

 the master, while Johnny, again at his poor little willing 

 pony with whip and spur, forgetting the mischief he did 

 in the road, is galloping his hardest immediately behind 

 the pack, to the imminent danger of the rearmost 

 hounds. 



The fence in front is a big one, hedge and ditch, and 

 Johnny bears aw^ay to the right after a well-mounted 

 farmer who prefers the gate. With a cunning movement 

 of his hunting-crop, the farmer drawls back the latch, and 

 pushes the gate open, giving it another poke as he goes 

 through, that it may not shut in the face of his followers ; 

 but Johnny makes no effort to repeat this courtesy for 

 the convenience of those who are behind him. He just 

 squeezes through, and the gate slams in the face of the 

 lady who was coming next. The field they are now in 

 has been sow^n, and the young corn is just showing its 

 tender head. Everyone but Johnny keeps carefully 

 either to the furrows or rides along the pathway by the 

 side of the hedge ; but Johnny, heedless of, or not under- 

 standing, the cries that are raised after him, dashes across 

 the field. 



Hounds are running hard, for the scent is hot, though, 

 as w^e have seen, it is late in the season, when, as a rule, 

 scent is less strong than at an earlier date. The fence 

 beyond is a simple hedge, from w^hich few are inclined 

 to turn, though Johnny is doubtful. Coming to it, he 

 pulls up ; then he thinks he can get over, for to right 

 and left of him everyone crosses it without an appear- 

 ance of effort ; so, after stopping his pony, he gives it a 

 kick with the spurs and a stroke with the whip, and the 



