“Well, my little fellows,” began the Doctor, drawing himself up with his back to the fire, the chisel in one hand and his coat-tails in the other, and his eyes twinkling as he looked them over; “what makes you so late?”
“Please, sir, we've been out big-side hare-and-hounds, and lost our way.”
“Hah! you couldn't keep up, I suppose?”
“Well, sir,” said East, stepping out, and not liking that the Doctor should think lightly of his running powers, “we got round Barby all right; but then—”
“Why, what a state you're in, my boy!” interrupted the Doctor, as the pitiful condition of East's garments was fully revealed to him.
“That's the fall I got, sir, in the road,” said East, looking down at himself; “the Old Pig came by—”
“The what?” said the Doctor.
“The Oxford coach, sir,” explained Hall.
“Hah! yes, the Regulator,” said the Doctor.
“And I tumbled on my face, trying to get up behind,” went on East.