MR. sponge's sporting tour. 179 



the branch above, crushing my hat right over my eyes, and in that 

 position he carried me through blindfold." 



" Indeed ! " exclaimed Jack, turning his spectacles full upon his 

 lordship, and adding, " it's lucky he didn't crack your crown." 



" It is," assented his lordship, feeling his head to satisfy himself 

 that he had not done so. 



" And how did you lose your tail " asked Jack, having got the 

 information about the hat. 



" The tail ! ah, the tail ! " replied his lordship, feeling behind, 

 where it wasn't ; " I'll tell you how that was : you see we went away 

 like blazes from Springwheat's gorse — nice gorse it is, and nice woman 

 he has for a wife — but however, that's neither here nor there ; what 

 I was going to tell you about was the run, and how I lost my tail. 

 Well, we got away like winking ; no sooner were the hounds in on one 

 side than away went the fox on the other. Not a soul shouted till he 

 was clean gone ; hats in the air was all that told his departure. The 

 fox thus had time to run matters through his mind — think whether 

 he should go to Eavenscar Craigs, or make for the main earths at 

 Painscastle Grove. He chose the latter, doubtless feeling himself strong 

 and full of running ; and if we had chosen his ground for him he could 

 not have taken us a finer line. He went as straight as an arrow 

 through Bramblebrake Wood, and then away down the hill over those 

 great enormous pastures to Haselbury Park, which he skirted, leav- 

 ing Evercreech Green on the left, pointing as if for Dorruston Dean. 

 Here he was chased by a cur, and the hounds were brought to a 

 momentary check. Frosty, however, was well up, and a hat being 

 held up on Hothersell Hill, he clapped for'ard and laid the hounds 

 on beyond. We then viewed the fox sailing away over Eddlethorp 

 Downs, still pointing for Painscastle Grove, with the Hamerton Brook 

 lighting up here and there in the distance. 



" The field, I should tell you, were fairly taken by surprise. 

 There wasn't a man ready for a start ; my horse had only just come 

 down. Fossick was on foot, drawing his girths ; Fyle was striking a 

 light to smoke a cigar on his hack; Blossomnose and Capon's grooms 

 were fistling and wisping their horses; Dribble, as usual, was all 

 behind ; and altogether there was such a scene of hurry and confu- 

 sion as never was seen. 



" As they came to the brook they got somewhat into line, and 

 one saw who was there. Five or six of us charged it together, and 

 two went under. One was Springwheat on his bay, who was some- 

 what pumped out; the other was said to be Hook. Old Daddy 

 Longleg3 skimmed it like a swallow, and, getting his hind-legs well 

 under him, shot over the pastures beyond, as if he was going upon 

 turf. The hounds all this time had been running, or rather racing, 

 nearly mute. They now, however, began to feel for the scent ; and, 

 as they got upon the cold, bleak grounds above Somerton Quarries, 



