offenders' hides, and sometimes by the snarl, snap, and worry of a
couple of hounds contending for the prey. Twang, twang, twang, still went
the horn; and when the huntsman reached the unicorn-crested gates, between
tea-caddy looking lodges, he found himself in possession of a clear
majority of his unsizable pack. Some were rather bloody to be sure, and a
few carried scraps of game, which fastidious masters would as soon have
seen them without; but neither Sir Harry nor his huntsman cared about
appearances.

On clearing the lodges, and passing about a quarter of a mile on the
Hardington road, hedge-rows ceased, and they came upon Farleyfair Downs,
across which Mr. Watchorn now struck, making for a square plantation, near
the first hill-top, where it had been arranged the bag-fox should be shook.
It was a fine day, rather brighter perhaps, than sportsmen like, and there
was a crispness in the air indicative of frost, but then there is generally
a burning scent just before one. So thought Mr. Watchorn, as he turned his
feverish face up to the bright, blue sky, imbibing the fine fresh air of
the wide-extending downs, instead of the stale tobacco smoke of the fetid
beer-shop. As he trotted over the springy sward, up the gently rising
ground, he rose in his stirrups; and, laying hold of his horse's mane,
turned to survey the long-drawn, lagging field behind.

'You'll have to look sharp, my hearties,' said he to himself, as he ran
them over in his eye, and thought there might be twenty or five-and-twenty
horsemen; 'you'll have to look sharp, my hearties,' said he, 'if you mean
to get away, for Wily Tom has his hat on the ground, which shows he has put
him down, and if he's the sort of gem'man I expect he'll not be long in
cover.'

So saying, he resumed his seat in the saddle, and easing his horse,
endeavoured, by sundry dog noises--such as, 'Yooi doit, Ravager!' 'Gently,
Paragon!' 'Here again. Mercury!'--to restrain the ardour of the leading
hounds, so as to let the rebellious tail ones up and go into cover with
something like a body. This was rather a difficult task to accomplish, for
those with him being light, and consequently anxious to be doing and ready
for riot, were difficult to restrain from dashing forward; while those that
had taken their diversion and refreshment among the game, were easy whether
they did anything more or not.

While Watchorn was thus manoeuvring his forces Wily Tom beckoned him on,
and old Cr