Page:Lesbia Newman - Dalton - 1889.djvu/86

 front, holding up his hand on reaching a wide circular space whence several rides diverged. Here our two girls, sitting at ease on their horses like the rest, chatted freely to each other, their somewhat naive observations being listened to in silent amusement by their hunting neighbours. The same gentleman in red who had given them information before happened to be near them again.

‘There!’ he suddenly exclaimed; ‘didn’t a hound speak?’

‘Speak, sir?’ said Miss Blemmyketts, opening her eyes wide.

‘Speak—that is, whimper.’

‘Whimper, sir, why? has he got scratched by a bramble?’

‘No,’ replied the gentleman, after a second’s pause, ‘he wants to tell us that a fox is afoot.’

‘In what sense is a fox a foot, sir? More than a foot long, sure-ly?’ inquired Miss Blemmyketts.

‘I mean,’ explained the gentleman, biting his lips, ‘that he has got scent of a fox and is trying to let the other hounds know it. There it is again, don’t you hear? No doubt about it. They’ve found.’

‘Tallyho, over!’ holloaed the huntsman from lower down the wood. ‘Over—over—over—over!’

‘Just keep an eye down that next ride, gentlemen, will you,’ said the master, turning his head.

The hounds were now in full cry through the wood, and our two girls, who heard the sound for the first time, began to feel the excitement.

‘Yoi over—over—over!’ called another, who was in front down that ride.

‘Now, ladies,’ said the good-natured one who had spoken to them before, ‘you can help us too. Keep your eyes fixed down this third ride, and you'll most likely see the fox cross from right to left.’