“Where are the hounds?” I cried. “Where is the fox?”
“In among them trees,” replied Halfred, as we galloped together towards the master.
“Let us go after them!” I exclaimed. “Lumme waits behind with the others. Now is our chance!”
“Come on, sir!” said Halfred, and we dashed past the master at a pace that scarcely gave us time to hear the encouraging cry with which he greeted us.
The wood was small, but the trees were densely packed, and it was only by the most miraculous good luck, aided also by skilful management, that we avoided injury from the branches. Somewhere before us we could hear the baying of the hounds, and we directed our course accordingly. Suddenly there arose a louder clamor and we caught a glimpse of white and tan forms leaping towards us. But we scarcely noticed these, for at that same instant we had espied a small, brown animal slipping away almost under our horses' feet.
“The fox!” cried Halfred.
“The fox!” I shouted, bending forward and aiming a blow at it with my whip.
With a loud cheer we turned and burst through the covert in hot pursuit, and, easily out-distancing the 'hounds, broke into the open with nothing before us but Reynard himself. Figure to yourself the sensation!
