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scrutinies began. One liked Sophy best behind, and 

 another went for Harriet's gay and airy forehand. 

 Another said that " Sophy could race^ ajtd Harriet 

 hunt a fox to deaths Save and excepting Jem, they 

 shook their heads in such despair at spHtting the 

 difference, that Mr. Morrell began to think, that as in 

 Trumpeter's and Rutland's year, there would be a 

 bracket, and two cups to give instead of one. At last, 

 however, the five packed, and Mr. John Aldworth, who 

 got this cup one year with Toilet, just walked into the 

 yard to receive the doleful greeting from Mr. Morrell's 

 lips of " You've just missed it with Sophy." Helen was 

 a good third, so the shade of Hercules was appeased. 



Selim by Fleecer, Royal by Greaves's Render, Fire- 

 brand by Forester, and Heretic by Hercules were 

 soon the only standers among the same number of 

 dog puppies ; though Jasper by Hercules was recalled 

 for a moment. Firebrand, whose features were a trifle 

 too long for Will Long's fashion-loving eye, had been 

 submitted to a most rigid scrutiny, first Avith his two 

 feet resting on one brick in the kennel yard floor, and 

 then on separate ones, to see if he was mathematically 

 straight, and was pronounced quite the prizeman of 

 his day. " Unanimous for Firebrand',' said Mr, 

 Morrell, when he had gone round, pencil in hand ; 

 and then came the struggle for second. Ayris, Maiden, 

 and Tocock were all for Royal, and the Master of the 

 South Warwickshire, as he stood there — 



" and came for to hear it, 

 He werry much applauded the thing they had done." 



Long was all for Heretic ; and Jem Hills had gone, 

 it was whispered, minutes before, for something else. 

 " Jems not with the majority again this time,'' said 

 we to Will. " Isn't he ? — / k7tow Jem's sort of old ;" 

 and down went the handle of his hunting whip on to 

 the gay black tan back of Selim by Fleecer, and sure 

 enough it was. 



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