re--there was ample
space for the aspiring ones to single themselves out; and as Lady
Scattercash and Orlando sat in the pony-phaeton, on the rising ground by
the keeper's house, they saw a dark-clad horseman (George Cheek), Old
Gingerbread Boots, as they called Mr. Sponge, with Lucy Glitters alongside
of him, gradually stealing away from the crowd, and creeping up to Mr.
Watchorn, who was sailing away with the hounds.

'What a scrimmage!' exclaimed her ladyship, standing up in the carriage,
and eyeing the

Strange confusion in the vale below.

'There's Bob in his old purple,' said she, eyeing her brother hustling
along; 'and there's "Fat" in his new Moses and Son; and Bouncey in poor
Wax's coat; and there's Harry all legs and wings, as usual,' added she, as
her husband was seen flibberty-gibbertying it along.

'And there's Lucy; and where's Miss Howard, I wonder?' observed Orlando,
straining his eyes after the scrambling field.

Nothing but the inspiriting aid of 'chumpine,' and the hope that the thing
would soon terminate, sustained Mr. Watchorn under the infliction in which
he so unexpectedly found himself; for nothing would have tempted him to
brave such a frost with the burning scent of a game four-legged fox. The
park being spacious, and enclosed by a high plank paling, he hoped the fox
would have the manners to confine himself within it; and so long as his
threadings and windings favoured the supposition, our huntsman bustled
along, yelling and screaming in apparent ecstasy at the top of his voice.
The hounds, to be sure, wanted keeping together, for Frantic as usual had
shot ahead, while the gorged pigpailers could never extricate themselves
from the ponies.

'F-o-o-o-r-r-a-r-d! f-o-o-o-r-r-a-r-d! f-o-o-o-r-r-a-r-d!' elongated
Watchorn, rising in his stirrups, and looking back with a grin at George
Cheek, who was plying his weed with the whip, exclaiming, 'Ah, you
confounded young warmint, I'll give you a warmin'! I'll teach you to jaw
about 'untin'!'

As he turned his head straight to look at his hounds, he was shocked to see
Frantic falling backwards from a first attempt to leap the park-palings,
and just as she gathered herself for a second effort, Desperate, Chatterer,
and Galloper, charged in line and got over. Then came the general rush of
the pack, attended with the usual success--some over, some back, some a-top
of others.

'Oh, the devil!' exclaimed Watchorn, pulling up short in a perfect a