The daily gazette., 1875-06-03

I
horseback. At length the frost on the
boughs turned to glistening beads, then
drops began to patter on the ground be-
meath. the white rime disappeared, and
| as one by one scarlet-coated men appear
| ed before the house, all fear as to the
hounds being stopped was at end. There
was huge feeding at Eldon Hall that
morning, for old Squire Crawford was
not one to neglect the rights of hospital
ity. The lord in scarlet and the yeoman
in green might be seen side by side
around his ample board, while hagons OF
ale were freely dispensed to the rustics
and servants who led the horses to and
fro without.
What scene il was as Mr. Hinton at
length gave the signxl to throw off, and
the hounds We're put into the laurels IA
sure find.) More than a hundred horse
| men, to say nothing of carriages and foot
people, all eager for the sport, were pres
ent. Cicely felt all its influence, and her
eye sparkled and brow flushed as the
Squire lifted her upon Swallow until the
old man thought her handsomer than his
own loved daughter. into whose ear Hin
ton was at the same moment whispering
some compliment. A fox was soon found
show. meet, and the foot people felt
privileged to surround him and "halloa'
in every direction. "Now for Moorside
Crags, said the master, when the merry
"Whoe-whoopH and "Tear him, tear
himp' was all over.
Chow cruel" said Evelyn, "to go to
that horrid place; you know, if you
nnd, We must keep the roads in that
country"
'Is it, then, 50 difficult as all thats"
asked Ciccly, her eye again brighten
ing.
S"Not to good riders well mounted
said the Squire pleasantly, "but far
too severe for old fellows like me,
and ladies. In fact very few of our
best men care to ride it when the ground
is deep"
Moorside Grags was a small covert,
overlooking fine vale, across which
foxes generally ran to some woodlands
about ten miles distant, and was COM
posed of gorse, brambles, old thorns,
etc., interspersed with huge boulders
of rock, from which the place took its
name. Our principal object is not SO
much to describe fox hunt as its con-
sequences, or we should tell how Fin.
der challenged, and how from single
notes the whole pack at last Joined in
chorus. That our reader must excuse,
and fancy our friends seated on high
ground, watching the course of events,
when one Of the whispers-in is seen to
hold his cap in the air at the lower cor
ner of the covert.
"By Jove, he's over the valeI' ex-
claims Hinton, clapping spurs to his
horse, and half scrambling, half aiding
down the slippery turf toward the point
indicated.
"He's for Beughead Woods" cried
Squire; 1--WE must take the lanes,
girls. and make haste. Come along"
and off he bustles, followed by Eve.
lyn.
Not so Cicely. Turning Swallows
head, she faced the descent, leaped
low wall at the bottom, and was soon
racing across large pasture in com
pany with Hinton, the whips, and a
dozen others. The hounds were well
awev, the pace tremendous, and 1t was
only as Hinton turded his head for
moment on hearing the crashing OF
rails, that he became aware OF the fair
form beside him. There she was, firm
as rock, yet giving easily to every
motion OF iier horse, sailing a.ongw With
out an effort, taking every obstacle in
her stride neck and neck with him.
Eodd of hunting as he was, gallantiy
as the hounds were running, he could
not help dividing his attention. These
were not the days in which women
rode SO much or SO well as at present,
and he had never seen anything ike II.
I ,ass and less was his attention bestow-
ed on the hounds and more on CIcely,
as the chase sped onward. Their COM
paniops dropped to the rear one by one;
he noticed it not. AS it appeared, in.
stinctively picking the tirmnest ground
and most practicable places, she sailed
along as K by magic, while old Swal5
low nobiy dthe oonhdencereposee
III him.
A. length Hinton became conscious
that the pack were disappearing mo-
mentarily from view, to emerge GRIP
ping wet on what seemed merely le-
vel Surface. GOOD Heavens" cIieo
he. "here's the brook. Iou must not
attempt it. | know ford close ell
hand And still with q lingering
eve on his pack, he reluctantly turned
Aouiet smile was Cicely's only an
swer, as she patGe., Swallows neck,
and then setting him skillfully at it
cleared the water at a bound. She
heard the beat of Hintcr'a horse'ss feet
as he turned TO follow her-heard the
thud as he pitched, and the splash and
struggle that followed when the BANK
gave way and horse and rider slipped
back into the water, but she never tur-
ned her head. When he once more
gained terra frna Swallow vas more
Than a field ahead, Hnd sill EoIhg
straight es his nama Implied. Tbe
water he'd shaken of the few remain,
inc o stragglers, and Hinton struggled
on the line of the flying. PACK gnd
their fair attendant alone in hopeless
stern chase. At last, crashing into q
field, he found the hounds snar.ing
over the remains of their fox, ana
was lust in time to save the heao for
himself and the brush to esentto Miss
Burnett.
'Really, Mr.. Hinton, fear | have
been most imprudent in desertinG my
companions in this fashion, but ! eouia
I, wnnt SWAY