Part 6 (2/2)

So Jerry put the hounds in, e them, and of course I came out, as I did not wish to share the fate of my future wife

”That's hirey h,” shouted the Red-faced Man ”Lay the run now, I'll warrant”

So they were laid on and I went away as hard as s would carry me

Very soon I found that I had left all those curly-tailed dogs a long way behind

”Ah!” I said to reyhounds; they are like Giles's retriever and the sheep dog They'll never seefor a hich was quite five miles off that I had once visited from the Marsh on the sea-shore where I lay sick, for I was sure they would never follow ine, then, Mahatma, how surprised I hen I drew near that wood to hear a hideous noise of dogs all barking together behindback, to see those spotted brutes, with their tongues hanging out, co quite close to each other and not more than a quarter of aafterits nose to the ground just where I had run, and then lifting up its head to bay Yes, they were co sht, but presently I remembered that the as quite close, and that there I should certainly give them the slip

So I went on quite cheerfully, not even running as fast as I could But fortune was againsthas always been, for I never found a friend I ran along the side of a hedgerohich went quite up to the wood, not knowing that at the end of it threedown an oak tree You see, Mahatht of the hunt and stopped from their work, so that I did not hear the sound of their axes upon the tree Nor, as ht on to them, at which moment also they saw me

”Here she is!” yelled one of them ”Keep her out of covert or they'll lose her,” and he threw out his aran to jump about, as did the other two

I pulled up short within three or four yards of the upon horses and in front were the three ateway, for a lane ran alongside the wood After athat I would get into the wood beyond But one of the men, who of course wanted to see ain

Then I lostinto the wood, I swung right round and rushed back, still clinging to the hedgerow Indeed as I went down one side of it the hounds and the hunters came up on the other, so that there were only a few sticks between us, though fortunately the as blowing fro lest they should see me I juh the athered there Then I had to coround, so still I was not seen

Meanwhile the hunt had reached the three ether The end of it was that the one, and once ot to where I had entered the ditch, and there grew confused becauseti a wide cast, the hounds foundthis check I wasthe best of my way back towards my own hoht and torn to pieces much sooner than I was Thus it happened that I had covered quite threebehind e of it which is about another three reat house called the Hall, which stands on the top of a cliff that slopes down to the beach and the sea

I had thought offor the other wood, that in which I had saved reyhounds when the beast Jack broke its neck against the tree, but it was too far off, and the ground was so open that I did not dare to try

So I went straight on, heading towards the cliff Another ht as he stood up in his stirrups on the black cob he was riding and waved his cap Jerry the huntsman also stood up in his stirrups and waved his cap, and the last awful hunt began

I ran--oh! how I ran Once when they were nearly onaain, and came after me at full tear not more than a hundred yards behind In front ofthat looked like walls and bounded towards the, my eyes andtorn to pieces still gave h I had just been put off my form For as I have told you, Mahat and swift hare

I reached the walls; there was an open doorway in theardeners saw h soe where Ia pail, who shrieked and fell on to her back I ju table covered hite on which were all sorts of things that I suppose men eat Out of that room I went into yet another, where a fat wo white in front of her I bolted under the thing on which she was seated and lay there

She saw an to shriek also, and presently a s were in the house, baying and barking, and everybody was yelling Then for a reat clatter of things breaking and of teeth crunching and of the Red-faced Man shouting--

”Those cursed brutes are eating the hunt lunch Get them out, Jerry, you idiot! Get them out! Great heavens! what's theher?”

I suppose that they couldn't get them out, or at least when they did they all came into the other room where I was under the seat on which the fat wo

”What is it, mother?” I heard Tom say

”An aniht,” he said, ”that's only the hare Here, hounds, out with her, hounds!”