Small Wood, which they
passed without hanging there a minute, and over the grass lands of
Cleshey Farm. Here Vavasor and Maxwell joined the others, having
gained some three hundred yards in distance by their course, but
having been forced to jump the Marham Stream which Sir William had
forded. The pace now was as good as the horses could make it,--and
perhaps something better as regarded some of them. Sir William's
servant had been with him, and he had got his second horse at
Claydon's; Maxwell had been equally fortunate; Tom's second horse
had not come up, and his beast was in great distress; Grindley had
remained behind at Marham Bottom, being contented perhaps with having
beaten Calder Jones,--from whom by-the-by I may here declare that he
never got his sovereign. Burgo, Vavasor, and the country gentleman
still held on; but it was devoutly desired by all of them that the
fox might soon come to the end of his tether. Ah! that intense
longing that the fox may fail, when the failings of the horse begin
to make themselves known,--and the consciousness comes on that all
that one has done will go for nothing unless the thing can be brought
to a close in a field or two! So far you have triumphed, leaving
scores of men behind; but of what good is all that, if you also are
to be left behind at the last?

It was manifest now to all who knew the country that the fox was
making for Thornden Deer Park, but Thornden Deer Park was still two
miles ahead of them, and the hounds were so near to their game that
the poor beast could hardly hope to live till he got there. He had
tried a well-known drain near Cleshey Farm House; but it had been
inhospitably, nay cruelly, closed against him. Soon after that he
threw himself down in a ditch, and the eager hounds overran him,
giving him a moment's law,--and giving also a moment's law to horses
that wanted it as badly. "I'm about done for," said Burgo to Maxwell.
"Luckily for you," said Maxwell, "the fox is much in the same way."

But the fox had still more power left in him than poor Burgo
Fitzgerald's horse. He gained a minute's check and then he started
again, being viewed away by Sir William himself. The country
gentleman of whom mention has been made also viewed him, and holloa'd
as he did so: "Yoicks, tally; gone away!" The unfortunate man! "What
the d---- are you roaring at?" said Sir William. "Do you suppose
I don't know where the fox is?" Whereupon the country gentleman
retreated