ists with the thong of my own whip, and this
especially cut me. It was knotted immovably; but by rolling over and
rubbing my face into the turf, I contrived at length to slip the gag
down below my chin. This done, I sat up and shouted lustily.

For a long time there was no reply but the whinnying of my mare, who
seemed to guess something was wrong, and pulled at her tether until I
thought she would break away. I think I called a score of times
before I heard an answering "Whoo-oop!" far back on the road, and a
scarlet coat, then another, and finally a dozen or more appeared on
the crest of the hill. It was the hunt returning.

They saw me at once, and galloped up, speechless from sheer
amazement. I believe my hands were loosened before a word was
spoken. The situation was painfully ridiculous; but my story was
partly out before they had time to laugh, and the rest of it was
gasped to the accompaniment of pounding hoofs and cracking whips.

Never did the Netherkirk Hunt ride after fox as it rode after the
Rev. William Teague that afternoon. We streamed over the moor, a
thin red wave, like a rank of charging cavalry, the whip even
forgetting his tired hounds that straggled aimlessly in our wake.
On the hill above Bleakirk we saw that the tide was out, and our
company divided without drawing rein, some four horsemen descending
to the beach, to ride along the sands out under Woeful Ness, and
across the Dead-Boy, hoping to gain the ridge before the madman and
cut him off. The rest, whom I led by a few yards, breasted the
height above and thundered past the grey churchyard wall. Inside it
I caught a flying glimpse of the yellow pony quietly cropping among
the tombs. We had our prey, then, enclosed in that peninsula as in
a trap; but there was one outlet.

I remember looking down towards the village as we tore along, and
seeing the fisher-folk run out at their doors and stand staring at
the two bodies of horsemen thus rushing to the sea. The riders on
the beach had a slight lead of us at first; but this they quickly
lost as their horses began to be distressed in the heavy sand.
I looked back for an instant. The others were close at my heels;
and, behind again, the bewildered hounds followed, yelping
mournfully. But neither man nor hound could see him whom they
hunted, for the cliff's edge hid the quicksand in front.

Presently the turf ceased. Dismounting, I ran to the edge and
plunged down the rocky face.