that in which I had saved
myself from the greyhounds 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 mile and
they viewed me, for I heard Tom yell with delight 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 on me I managed to
check them for a minute in a hollow by getting among some sheep. But
they soon found me again, and came after me at full tear not more than
a hundred yards behind. In front of me I saw something that looked
like walls and bounded towards them with my last strength. My heart was
bursting, my eyes and mouth seemed to be full of blood, but the terror
of being torn to pieces still gave me power to rush on almost as quickly
as though I had just been put off my form. For as I have told you,
Mahatma, I am, or rather was, a very strong and swift hare.

I reached the walls; there was an open doorway in them through which I
fled, to find myself in a big garden. Two gardeners saw me and shouted
loudly. I flew on through some other doors, through a yard, and into a
passage where I met a woman carrying a pail, who shrieked and fell on
to her back. I jumped over her and got into a big room, where was a
long table covered with white on which were all sorts of things that I
suppose men eat. Out of that room I went into yet another, where a fat
woman with a hooked nose was seated holding something white in front of
her. I bolted under the thing on which she was seated and lay there.
She saw me come and began to shriek also, and presently a most terrible
noise arose outside.

All the spotted dogs were in the house, baying and barking, and
everybody was yelling. Then for a minute the dogs stopped their clamour,
and I heard a great 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 the matter with her Ladyship?
Is any one murdering her?"

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 woman was now standing.

"What is it, mother?" I heard To