‘That he had,’ said Jasper. ‘Fancy him over Peat Hill.’
‘He’ll be left behind to be picked up as we come back,’ said Wilfred.
‘No, no, no! I can keep up better than you can, Wil! Take me, Uncle Regie.’ The little boy was so near a howl that good-natured Colonel Mohun’s heart was touched, and he consented to let him come on, though Jasper argued, ‘You’ll have to carry him, uncle.’
‘No, I’ll make you, master! Tell your mother not to wait luncheon for us, Gillian; we’ll pick up something somewhere.’
‘Hurrah!’ cried Wilfred and Fergus, to whom this was an immense additional pleasure.
The girls turned away into the lane, Valetta indulging in an outrageous grumble. ‘Why should Dolores have come out to spoil everything?’
Dolores did not speak.
‘Just our one chance,’ sighed Mysie, ‘and perhaps we should have seen the fox.’
‘We may do that yet,’ said Gillian; ‘he may come this way.’
‘I don’t care if he does,’ said Valetta. ‘I wanted to see them draw the copse. I believe Dolores did it on purpose to spoil our pleasure.’