a richly be-laced hat in one hand and flourishing a whip
in the other.

"Hark away! Hark away!" he yelled, while from those behind came
boisterous laughter and shouts of "Yoick!" "Tally-ho!" "Gone away!" and
the like.

At the terrace steps the concourse halted and out upon this clamorous
throng the quiet figure of the Major limped, his wig a little askew as
usual. As he came, the clamour subsided and the crowd, falling back,
discovered half-a-dozen stalwart keepers who dragged between them a
slender youth, bruised and bloody.

"Ah," said the Major, surveying the scene with interest, "and what may
all this be?"

"O demmit, sir!" cried the slender young gentleman, clapping hat to
gorgeous bosom and bowing, "Step me vitals, sir--what should it be but
a demmed rogue and a rebbit, sir!"

"O, a rabbit?" said the Major.

"And a rogue, sir! Pink me, 'tis the demmdest, infernal,
long-leggedest rascal and led us the demmdest chase I promise you!
Hill and dale, hedge and wall, copse and spinney, O demn! Better than
any fox I ever hunted, there was only Alvaston, Marchdale, your humble
and one or two keeper-fellows in at the death--pace too hot,
sir--strike me dumb!"

"And pray, sir," enquired the Major, "whom have I the fortune to
address?"

"O Ged, sir, to be sure--I'm Alton---very obedient, humble--gentleman
yonder blowing his nose like a demmed trumpet is my friend Tony
Marchdale of Marchdale--big fellow in the purple coat and nose to match
is Sir Benjamin Tripp" (here Sir Benjamin bowed, spluttering mildly)
"gentleman with the sparrow-legs is Lord Alvaston" (here his lordship
posturing gracefully with his slender legs, bowed, cursing
amiably)--"stand-and-deliver gentleman with hook-nose, Captain West of
the Guards--die-away gentleman in lavender and gold, Mr. Dalroyd--fat
fellow in abominable scratch-wig who looks as if he'd swallowed a lemon
the wrong way, don't know--and there we are, sir--demme!"

"And I, gentlemen, am John d'Arcy, at your service. What can I do for
you?"

"O egad, sir--strike me everlasting blue, 'tis we have been doing for
you! Here we've caught your rogue for you--chased him high--chased him
low--here, there and everywhere--bushes, burrs and briers, dirt and
dust sir--O demmit!

"If," began the Major, "if you will have the goodness to be a little
more explicit----"

But here the short, plump, fierce-eyed gentleman in the scratch-wig,
elbowing aside the yokels who stood near strod