master or mistress. The hounds had already arrived and were congregated on the grass, some rolling, some playing, some placidly waving their fine-pointed sterns to and fro.

Burnett stood in their midst, mounted on a powerful, blood-like brown gelding, whilst the first whip occasionally made the lash of his hunting crop crack with a resounding noise, when an inquisitive hound, more excitable and less obedient than his comrades, ventured outside the circle.

The old ones, who knew what they had come out for, were mostly sensible enough, but now and again, a youthful member of the establishment, possessing an active canine mind, would exhibit a propensity to make acquaintance with horses' legs, or sniff suspiciously at the knots of little sturdy boys and girls who stood watching the proceedings, half in fear, half in delight.

Then the thong descended on the offender's hind quarters, and sent him yelping back from whence he came, smarting under a sense of injury. Bob pulled up his horse, and watched these and similar incidents with keen interest. Nothing escaped him. He noticed the sleekness of the hounds' coats, and what an admirably matched lot they were. He looked down into the depths of their honest, wistful eyes, that appeared now yellow, now brown, now luminously red, according to how the sunlight fell upon them.

Mongrels he had seen by the score, but never such hounds as these. It was a delight to watch them; each movement betrayed high pedigree. One sedate and curiously marked fellow particularly took his fancy. He was a very light hound, almost white, save for a few patches of tan, and he lay on the grass, as if determined not to distress himself until necessary, with his noble head reposing contentedly on outstretched paws, stained to a dark hue by the muddy roads along which he had travelled.

"Is that a good hound?" asked Bob of one of the whips. "The best killer in the pack, sir. He comes from Lord Lonsdale."

And now people began to arrive from every quarter. The little common was dotted over with red coats, thrown up by a sprinkling of black. The sun shone out, and made the brass buttons twinkle like miniature stars; it cast a sheen on the horses' smooth coats, bringing their strong muscles into high relief, and lighting up the whole stirring and varied scene with its clear, genial rays. Overhead was a soft blue sky, across whose broad expanse of tender azure floated a few gossamer clouds, misty and white, their snowy purity contrasting vividly with the distant ether.

Bob-who was naturally observant-thought that, taking it altogether, he had never looked upon so goodly a sight.

He no longer wondered at the pride and enthusiasm Englishmen displayed when talking of fox-hunting. He could fully sympathize with their feelings.

For even as he gazed at the bright array, a glow of exultation thrilled his veins. In fact, he was so absorbed by all he now saw for the first time, that he did not notice a small group of wellmounted, well-appointed men who had drawn near and were evidently criticizing the new-comer's appearance.

Perhaps it was just as well that he escaped seeing the smiles of mingled indignation and contempt which disfigured their countenances, as they stood there and took stock of their fellow

creature.

Luckily for Bob, it did not enter his head to imagine that he was furnishing subject of amusement. To tell the truth, he had clean forgotten all about those unfortunate elastic straps. The excitement of the moment had chased their memory away.

Besides, he also was engaged in making mental observations, and had already taken a rapid survey of the assembled field.

Some few elegant sportsmen he marked down in his mind's tablet as "real swagger chaps, regular out-and-out swells." Needless to say these were the Mutual Adorationites. Others, again, appeared to be good fellows, without an atom of "side."

Yet, curiously enough, Bob's instinctive desire was to make acquaintance with the former rather than with the latter class. Chiefly because these extra-refined individuals were rarities in his Colonial life, hitherto seldom met with; and also because he had a notion they possessed a certain amount of originality and constituted a type altogether novel in his experiences. Perhaps, too, some inward consciousness whispered that they belonged to an entirely different order-the order to which, by his uncle's death, he ought now to aspire. No doubt they could teach him manners. For manners, above all, were what humble-minded Bob told himself he was sadly deficient in. His heart might be good, his sentiments irreproachable, but what was the use of that without fine old British polish? He was determined to lose no opportunity of acquiring it.

Meantime, Lord Littelbrane gave the signal for a move to be made, and hounds were at once trotted off at a brisk pace to draw Neverblank Covert, whose name was suggestive of the good sport it invariably afforded.

It lay on the slope of a hill, removed from roads and railways, and was situated in a scantily populated portion of the county. The strong, healthy gorse of which it was composed afforded a retreat dear to the vulpine race; and dire was the disappointment if by any chance Neverblank failed to furnish a fox when called upon. As a rule, the chief difficulty consisted in dislodging the quarry; for owing to the stoutness of the gorse, it was by no means an easy covert for hounds to draw.

But to-day they were fresh and eager, and in their ardour heeded not the stabs inflicted on their fine skins by the sharp

KK

B2

pointed prickles. By the end of five minutes no less than three foxes were viewed stealing across the rides.

"Hoick, my beauties. Hoick, hoick at 'em," called out Burnett encouragingly, in a mellow, resonant voice that could be heard from afar.

Nevertheless, a considerable delay occurred, during which our friend Bob was on the tip-toe of expectation.

Once three or four young hounds appeared for a few minutes, and gave chase to a startled hare. Bob immediately joined in the pursuit, but to his intense disappointment, up rode the first whip and administered to the offenders such a punishment that they were only too glad to effect a retreat, their sense of guilt weighing heavily upon them.

As for Bob, not being a hound, he was castigated by the human tongue instead of by the lash. To his consternation, he suddenly found himself addressed by a stout, white-headed, redfaced, choleric-looking old gentleman, who at that moment hore a curious resemblance to an infuriated turkey-cock, thanks to the wobbling muscles of his purple throat.

"God d-- -n it, sir! Where the devil are you going to?" he roared out at the top of his voice, glaring fiercely at Bob with his small glittering eyes.

"I thought we were going to have a run," answered the young man apologetically.

"The deuce you did, and pray," blankety, blankety, blankthe reader's ear must not be offended by too faithful a repetition of the general's language-" what the dickens do you mean by encouraging Lord Littelbrane's hounds to run riot? Eh! answer me that question." And once more his flabby, pendulous throat became convulsed.

"I didn't intend to do anything wrong or against the rules," said Bob meekly. "But I fancied we were off."

"Off! indeed. You seem to possess a lively fancy, sir; rather too lively when combined with so very," he laid a sneering emphasis on the word, "small a knowledge of hunting. But you've made a mistake, let me tell you. The Morbey Anstead don't go in for teaching beginners how to hunt. You had far better try some other pack, for we"-oh! the importance, the majesty and superiority contained in that word-"expect people to behave themselves when they come out with us."

This speech angered Bob not a little; still with an effort he stifled his wrath. He had no wish to enter into a quarrel, but more especially did he dislike squabbling with a man so many years his senior. He determined to try the effect of a soft

answer.

66

"I beg pardon," he said quietly but firmly. "I had no idea that I had committed so gross a breach of etiquette as, according to you, I unfortunately appear to have done.'

But General Prosieboy was not one to be easily appeased. After the conversation which had taken place between himself and Lord Littelbrane he felt as if his personal honour were at stake, and that he was bound not only as a gentleman, but also as a M.A., to crush Bob down to the very ground. If his opponent had flown into a temper he would have been more at ease. The young man's humble, yet at the same time manly manner was just a trifle disconcerting. He must not let his rage evaporate.

It

"Damnation, sir," he retorted irately. "You had no idea, indeed! Pray what excuse is that? None, none whatever. cannot be permitted that you should ruin our hounds and spoil our day's sport. People have no right to come out hunting with a pack like the Morbey Anstead when they don't even know the difference between a fox and a hare."

Bob reddened. The speaker's manner was so intentionally offensive that he realized at last that this foul-tongued old gentleman was deliberately setting to work to insult him. He was a high-spirited young fellow, and having once arrived at this conclusion, no longer made any effort to conceal his indignation. "Will you be good enough to tell me who you are and what your name is?" he inquired with considerable heat.

Blankety-blank. "What's that to you?" replied the general. "A great deal. I wish to know if you are authorized to keep the Field in order, and for what purpose you disgrace yourself by using bad language."

"Damn it, sir. Do you mean to tell me that you question my authority and wish to know my name?"

"You have guessed my desire correctly."

"By gad! sir, I'm not ashamed of it," returned the other excitedly. "It's Prosieboy, General Prosieboy."

66

"A very applicable name, no doubt," said Bob with a sarcasm he could not refrain from.

"And as for my authority," continued the general, treating this remark with the contempt it deserved, and inflating himself like a balloon filled full of pride instead of gas, 66 you need be under no apprehension about that. I am Lord Littelbrane's most intimate friend, and every action of mine invariably meets with his concurrence."

On such an occasion, when he was fighting the battles of the whole sacred body of Mutual Adorationites, General Prosieboy's conscience told him that it was a gallant and virtuous thing to draw the long bow. The young man had to be suppressed and squashed. At present he showed no signs of submission.

"I presume then," said Bob, with a twinkle in his eye, for General Prosieboy's grandiose manner had an irresistibly comic effect upon him, "that his lordship is by no means particular with whom he associates and has not an easily-offended ear." And so saying Bob galloped off at full speed, for a loud "

gane

forrard awa-ay "rang through the air, repeating itself in many sounding echoes.

This time the fox really took to his heels, and he, Bob, had not a moment to lose.

General Prosieboy stood for a second and looked after him. Then he shook his head doubtingly.

"He ought to be settled-he ought to be settled," he muttered three or four times over in tones full of anxiety and dissatisfaction. "And yet with an oath, "I'm not sure that he is. Mr. Robert P. Jarrett is just about as tough a customer as I've come across for a long time. However, if he feels inclined to show fight I'll have another shy at him by-and-by." Whereupon he clapped spurs to his horse and rode off for the nearest road.

CHAPTER X.

CUTTING THEM ALL DOWN.

The Swell glided "That old cove's

"WELL I'm blowed," said Bob to himself, as over the pastures with his long, smooth stride. boots and breeches were perfection, and yet I wonder if he is a specimen of the sporting gentleman. If so, they must be an uncommonly queer lot."

But General Prosieboy soon vanished from his thoughts, for the hounds were straight ahead, running hard and mute, whilst the Field were already split up into half-a-dozen different divisions. The Swell, too, was pulling like one not accustomed to the indignity of seeing many of his own species in advance of him. Bob let him go, being also anxious to get to the front as quickly as possible.

Although, thanks to his recent encounter, he had not been particularly fortunate in securing a start, he soon made the pleasing discovery that, owing to the extraordinary speed of his horse, he was only cantering when others were galloping, and before very long he succeeded in joining the leading horsemen.

This position contented him, and he resolved if possible to maintain it. As before stated, he was accustomed to riding, and what he wanted in judgment he made up for in "pluck" and dash. Although The Swell missed the delicate handling-the artistic lengthening and shortening of the reins to which he had grown accustomed when carrying his late master-he quickly ascertained that his present one was not to be denied. The good hunter's desire was to be where he could see the hounds. Bob's wishes were identical, and as he had the sense to leave The Swell pretty well alone at his fences, they got on better than might have been expected.

They had already flown some six or seven obstacles and had es