280 HUNTINGCEOP HALL 



That The Sultan's elibrts to follow them had 

 been vigorous I need not say ; but I felt that it 

 was a moment for action, and pulled and tugged 

 and sawed at his mouth to make him keep his head 

 turned away from temptation. He struggled about 

 amongst the trees, and I felt that, under the cir- 

 cumstances, I should be justified in hitting him on 

 the head. I did so ; and shortly afterwards — it 

 was not exactly that I was throum, but circum- 

 stances induced me to get ojf rather suddenly. 



My foot was on my native heath. I was alone, 

 appreciating the charms of solitude in a degree I 

 had never before experienced ; but after a few 

 minutes of thankfulness, the necessity of action 

 forced itself on my mind. Clearly, I must not be 

 seen standing at my horse's head gazing smilingly 

 at the prospect — that would never do, for the 

 whole hunt might reappear as quickly as they had 

 gone ; so, smoothing out the most troublesome 

 creases in my nether garments, I proceeded to 

 mount. I say " proceeded," for it was a difficult 

 and very gradual operation, but was eventually 

 managed through the instrumentality of a little 

 boy, who held The Sultan's head, and addressed 

 him in a series of forcible epithets that I should 

 never have dared to use : language, however, which, 

 though reprehensible from a moral point of view, 



