d, however,' he said, fitting it round to the skirt as he spoke.

'Oh, nicely!' replied Jack; 'it's come off clean by the skirt. But what
said Old Blossom?' inquired Jack.

'Oh, he was full of apologies and couldn't helps it as usual,' replied his
lordship; 'he was down, too, I should tell you, with his horse on his left
leg; but there wasn't much time for apologies or explanation, for the
hounds were running pretty sharp, considering how long they had been at
work, and there was the chance of others jumping upon us if we didn't get
out of the way, so we both scrambled up as quick as we could and got into
our places again.'

'Which way did you go, then?' asked Jack, who had listened with the
attention of a man who knows every yard of the country.

'Well,' continued his lordship, casting back to where he got his fall, 'the
fox crossed the Coatenburn township, picking all the plough and
bad-scenting ground as he went, but it was of no use, his fate was sealed;
and though he began to run short, and dodge and thread the hedge-rows, they
hunted him yard by yard till he again made an effort for his life, and took
over Mossingburn Moor, pointing for Penrose Tower on the hill. Here
Frosty's horse, Little Jumper, declined, and we left him standing in the
middle of the moor with a stiff neck, kicking and staring and looking
mournfully at his flanks. Daddy Longlegs, too, had begun to sob, and in
vain I looked back in hopes of seeing Jack-a-Dandy coming up. "Well," said
I to myself, "I've got a pair of good strong boots on, and I'll finish the
run on foot but I'll see it"; when, just at the moment, the pack broke from
scent to view and rolled the fox up like a hedgehog amongst them.'

'Well done!' exclaimed Jack, adding, 'that was a run with a vengeance!'
'Wasn't it?' replied his lordship, rubbing his hands and stamping; 'the
finest run that ever was seen--the finest run that ever was seen!'

'Why, it couldn't be less than twelve miles from point to point,' observed
Jack, thinking it over.

'Not a yard,' replied his lordship, 'not a yard, and from fourteen to
fifteen as the hounds ran.'

'It would be all that,' assented Jack. 'How long were you in doing it?' he
asked.

'An hour and forty minutes,' replied his lordship; 'an hour and forty
minutes from the find to the finish'; adding, 'I'll stick the brush and
present it to Mrs. Springwheat.'

'It's to be hoped Springy's out of the brook,' observed Jack.

'To be hoped so,