uraging Grindley rode away.

Lunch and cigars lasted till two, during which hour the hounds, the
huntsmen, the whips, and old Sir William were hard at work, as also
were some few others who persistently followed every chance of the
game. From that till three there were two or three flashes in the
pan, and false reports as to foxes which had gone away, which first
set men galloping, and then made them very angry. After three, men
began to say naughty things, to abuse Cranby Wood, to wish violently
that they had remained at home or gone elsewhere, and to speak
irreverently of their ancient master. "It's the cussidest place in
all creation," said Maxwell. "I often said I'd not come here any
more, and now I say it again."

"And yet you'll be here the next meet," said Grindley, who had
sneaked back to his old companions in weariness of spirit.

"Grindems, you know a sight too much," said Maxwell; "you do indeed.
An ordinary fellow has no chance with you."

Grindley was again going to catch it, but was on this time saved by
the appearance of the huntsman, who came galloping up one of the
rides, with a lot of the hounds at his heels.

"He isn't away, Tom, surely?" said Maxwell.

"He's out of the wood somewheres," said Tom;--and off they all went.
Vavasor changed his horse, getting on to the brown one, and giving
up his chestnut mare to Bat Smithers, who suggested that he might
as well go home to Roebury now. Vavasor gave him no answer, but,
trotting on to the point where the rides met, stopped a moment and
listened carefully. Then he took a path diverging away from that by
which the huntsmen and the crowd of horsemen had gone, and made the
best of his way through the wood. At the end of this he came upon Sir
William, who, with no one near him but his servant, was standing in
the pathway of a little hunting-gate.

"Hold hard," said Sir William. "The hounds are not out of the wood
yet."

"Is the fox away, sir?"

"What's the good of that if we can't get the hounds out?--Yes, he's
away. He passed out where I'm standing." And then he began to blow
his horn lustily, and by degrees other men and a few hounds came down
the ride. Then Tom, with his horse almost blown, made his appearance
outside the wood, and soon there came a rush of men, nearly on the
top of one another, pushing on, not knowing whither, but keenly alive
to the fact that the fox had at last consented to move his quarters.

Tom touched his hat, and looked