MR. sponge's sporting tour. 313 



out ; but neither Sir Harry nor his huntsman cared about appear- 

 ances. 



On clearing the lodges, and passing about a quarter of a mile on 

 the Hardington Road, hedge-rows ceased, and they came upon Far- 

 lyfair Downs, across which Mr. Watchorn now struck, making for a 

 square plantation, near the first hill-top, where it had been arranged 

 the bag-fox should be shook. It was a fine day, rather brighter, per- 

 haps, than sportsmen like, and there was a crispness in the air indi- 

 cative of frost, but then there is generally a burning scent just 

 before one. So thought Mr. Watchorn, as he turned his feverish 

 face up to the bright, blue sky, imbibing the fine fresh air of the wide- 

 extending downs, instead of the stale tobacco smoke of the fetid beer- 

 shop. As he trotted over the springy sward, up the gently rising 

 ground, he rose in his stirrups; and, laying hold of his horse's mane, 

 turned to survey the long-drawn, lagging field behind. 



" You'll have to look sharp, my hearties," said he to himself, as 

 he run them over in his eye, and thought there might be twenty or 

 five-and twenty horsemen ; " 3-ou'll have to look sharp my hearties," 

 said he, " if } t ou mean to get away, for Wily Tom has his hat on the 

 ground, which shows he has put him down, and if he's the sort of 

 gem'man I expect he'll not be long in cover." 



So saying, he resumed his seat in the saddle, and easing his horse, 

 endeavoured by sundry dog noises — such as, " Yooi doit, Ravager ! " 

 u Gently, Paragon ! " " Here again, Mercury ! " — to restrain the 

 ardour of the leading hounds, so as to let the rebellious tail ones up . 

 and go into cover with something like a body. This was rather a 

 difficult task to accomplish, for those with him being light, and con- 

 sequently anxious to be doing and ready for riot, were difficult to re- 

 strain from dashing forward ; while those that had taken their diver- 

 sion and refreshment among the game, were easy whether they did 

 anything more or not. 



While Watchorn was thus manoeuvring his forces Wily Tom 

 beckoned him on, and old Cruiser and Marmion, who had often been 

 at the game before, and knew what Wily Tom's hat on the ground 

 meant, flew to him full cry, drawing all their companions after them. 



"I think he's away to the west," said Tom, in an undertone, rest- 

 ing his hand on Watchorn's horse's shoulder ; " back home" added 

 he, jerking his head with a knowing leer of his roguish eye. 



They're on him ! " exclaimed he after a pause, as the outburst of 

 melody proclaimed that the hounds had crossed his line. Then there 

 was such racing and striving among the field to get up, and such 

 squeezing and crowding, and " Mind my horse kicks ! " at the little 

 white hunting wicket leading into cover. " Knock down the wall ! " 

 exclaimed one. "Get out of the way; I'll ride over it!" roared 

 another. " We shall be here all day ! " vociferated a third. " That's 

 a header 1 " cried another, as a clatter of stones was followed by a 

 14 



