THE SHIRES 



eighteen or twenty feet, and for a mile, at least, 

 the King scarcely alters his action, and never 

 changes his leg. Young Rapid would ask no 

 better fun than to go on like this for a week. 



Once he has a narrow escape. The fox having 

 turned short up a hedgerow after crossing it, the 

 hounds, though running to kill, turn as short, for 

 which they deserve the praise there is nobody 

 present to bestow, and Rapid, charging the fence 

 with considerable freedom, just misses landing in 

 the middle of the pack. I know it, because he 

 acknowledged it after dinner, professing, at the 

 same time, devout thankfulness that master and 

 huntsman were too far off to see. Just such 

 another turn is made at the next fence, but this 

 time on the near side. The hounds disappear 

 suddenly, tumbling over each other into the ditch 

 like a cascade. Peering between his horse's ears, 

 the successful rider can distinguish only a confused 

 whirl of muddy backs, and legs, and sterns, seen 

 through a cloud of steam ; but smothered growls, 

 with a certain vibration of the busy cluster, 

 announce that they have got him, and Rapid so 

 far forgets himself as to venture on a feeble 

 " Who-whoop ! " 



Before he can leap from the saddle the hunts- 

 man comes up, followed by two others, one of 

 whom, pulling out his watch, with a delighted face 

 repeats frantically, *' Seven-and-twenty minutes, 



233 



