e who were loitering
at a distance lost their chance. But the real sportsmen, always on
the alert, always thinking of the business in hand, always mindful
that there may be at any moment a fox just before the hounds, had
a glorious opportunity of getting "well away." Among these no one
was more intent, or, when the moment came, "better away," than Mrs.
Spooner.

Silverbridge had been talking to her and had the full advantage of
her care. Tregear was riding behind with Lord Chiltern, who had been
pressing him to come with his friend to Harrington. As soon as the
shouting was heard Chiltern was off like a rocket. It was not only
that he was anxious to "get well away," but that a sense of duty
compelled him to see how the thing was being done. Old Fowler
certainly was a little slow, and Dick Rabbit, with the true
bloody-minded instinct of a whip, was a little apt to bustle a fox
back into covert. And then, when a run commences with a fast rush,
riders are apt to over-ride the hounds, and then the hounds will
over-run the fox. All of which has to be seen to by a Master who
knows his business.

Tregear followed, and being mounted on a fast horse was soon as
forward as a judicious rider would desire. "Now, Runks, don't you
press on and spoil it all," said Mrs. Spooner to the hard-riding,
objectionable son of old Runks the vet from Rufford. But young Runks
did press on till the Master spoke a word. The word shall not be
repeated, but it was efficacious.

At that moment there had been a check,--as there is generally after a
short spurt, when fox, hounds, and horsemen get off together, and not
always in the order in which they have been placed here. There is too
much bustle, and the pack becomes disconcerted. But it enabled Fowler
to get up, and by dint of growling at the men and conciliating his
hounds, he soon picked up the scent. "If they'd all stand still
for two minutes and be ---- to them," he muttered aloud to himself,
"they'd 'ave some'at to ride arter. They might go then, and there's
some of 'em 'd soon be nowhere."

But in spite of Fowler's denunciations there was, of course, another
rush. Runks had slunk away, but by making a little distance was now
again ahead of the hounds. And unfortunately there was half-a-dozen
with him. Lord Chiltern was very wrath. "When he's like that," said
Mrs. Spooner to Tregear, "it's always well to give him a wide berth."
But as the hounds were now running fast it was necessary that