the Baronet's tenantry was a Mr. Pointer, a thoroughly well-bred
individual, who lived at a farm close by the park, and who generally
accompanied Sir Vane on his shooting-excursions. Mr. Pointer had but one
son, named Carlo, with whose training he had taken much pains, and at an
early age Carlo promised soon to know as much about field matters as his
worthy father. But Carlo had one failing which his parent little dreamed
of. On one occasion, when on a visit to a neighbouring farm, the youth
had tasted a hare, and ever afterwards he longed to regale himself
again on such delightful food. One unlucky morning Carlo was rambling
about his father's farm with a gun on his arm, merely to shoot the rooks
and frighten away the sparrows, when a hare jumped out of her form and
ran away straight before him. The opportunity was too tempting. Bang!
went Carlo's gun, and poor pussy tumbled head over heels. Carlo looked
round him with anxious glances, and fancying the coast was clear, took
up his prize and put it in his pocket; but just as he was vaulting over
a gate, Towser, the head-keeper at the park, emerged from behind the
hedge, and, without a word, took Carlo's gun from his arm and the hare
from his pocket. Carlo was no match for Towser, so he allowed himself to
be led before the great Sir Vane without opposition. Towser related the
whole of Carlo's terrible offence, which he had witnessed from behind
the fence, and the indignant Sir Vane demanded the criminal's reply.
Carlo assumed a bold and careless air; told the Baronet that he wished
to have the hare for his dinner, and that he could see no harm in
killing animals that were feeding on his father's corn. This enraged Sir
Vane to such an extent that he started from his chair, seized the gun
from Towser, and would certainly have shot Carlo on the spot, had not
the youth sprung upon the Baronet, wrenched the gun out of his hands,
and laid him sprawling on the floor. Towser ran to his master's
assistance, and Carlo, without waiting for his sentence, jumped through
the open window into the garden, flew across the lawn with the speed of
a greyhound, and quickly put forty long miles between himself and
Peacock Hall.

Ten days afterwards Carlo read in "The Sportsman's Chronicle" that, much
to the regret of his family and a numerous circle of admiring friends,
Sir Vane Peacock had died suddenly of apoplexy, brought on by a fall.
Not a word was said about the cause of the accident; in