ing. And you're looking fierce and ugly, Hare. Do put Armitage out
of your head, and come and have a see-saw!"

The chase, meanwhile, had opened well. The track was unmistakable to
begin with, and it led right away from the town into the free country.
The pack of hounds spun gaily along at full tilt, and many a machine was
travelling at a pace it had not known for years. Every now and then
there was a small collision, ending generally in a tumble; but if anyone
was hurt, he kept it to himself, for all remounted and rode on, and
nobody waited behind to make enquiries.

Of course there were any amount of false alarms, shouts and shrieks,
wavings and ringings, and Simmons's toot-toot sometimes went unheard in
the hubbub. Mr. Anderson grew quite boyishly excited, and kept bawling,
"Come on, you fellows, come on! Buck up! We'll run them down yet!" And
it is probable that Mr. West might have had a word to say had he seen
the pace at which the willing hounds obeyed.

After one of the collisions above-mentioned, Grey, who was not a good
rider, and happened to be the last of the pack, came upon Cadbury,
dismounted, by the roadside.

"What's up?" he cried, as he swayed laboriously past.

"Oh, that you, Grey? Get down, there's a good fellow, and hold my bike a
jiffey. I'll tow you up the next hill, if you will. Thanks so much! I
had a spill just now, and my handlebar's got slewed round, and I can't
keep it straight and right it at the same time."

The spanner had to be hunted out, the screw loosened, and the bar
straightened; and thus a little time was occupied.

"Bother it! They're out of sight!" cried Cadbury when both were once
more ready to mount. "I suppose we shall see Andy tooling back soon, to
whip in the lazy pups! Never mind, I'll keep you company. Don't you
burst your wind! We'll take it quietly."

"How they do yell! They've lost the trail," remarked Grey. "Hi! I say,
there's paper down this lane; look--and it has a bit of Green's writing
on it. You bet this is the true trail, and that the hares only scooted
along the main road a bit farther, on purpose to mislead."

"You may be right. Anyhow, let's try our luck. It's downhill, so we can
put on steam. What sport if they all have to turn round, and find we're
in front instead of behind! Mind, old chappie, I'm passing on your right
... wait for you ... below!"

The last words came faintly back; Cadbury had passed Grey like a streak
of lightning, his feet up, an