l him. Those blackguards
can't keep on with us." This was Daly's plan, spoken out within
hearing of many of the blackguards.

"You had better take my offer, and come to Ardrahan Castle," said his
lordship.

"No, my lord," said Daly, with the tone of authority which a master
of hounds always knows how to assume.

"I shall draw on. Barney, get the hounds together." Then he whispered
to Barney Smith that the hounds should go on to Kilcornan. Now
Kilcornan was a place much beloved by foxes, about ten miles distant
from Moytubber. It was not among the coverts appointed to be drawn
on that day, which all lay back towards Ahaseragh. At Kilcornan the
earths would be found to open. But it would be better to trot off
rapidly to some distant home for foxes, even though the day's sport
might be lost. Daly was very anxious that it should not be said
through the country that he had been driven home by a set of roughs
from any one covert or another. The day's draw would be known--the
line of the country, that is, which, in the ordinary course of
things, he would follow on that day. But by going to Kilcornan
he might throw them off his scent. So he started for Kilcornan,
having whispered his orders to Barney Smith, but communicating his
intentions to no one else.

"What will you do, Daly?" said Sir Jasper Lynch.

"Go on."

"But where will you go?" inquired the baronet. He was a man about
Daly's age, with whom Daly was on comfortable terms. He had no cause
for being crabbed with Sir Jasper as with Lord Ardrahan. But he did
not want to declare his purpose to any man. There is no one in the
ordinary work of his life so mysterious as a master of hounds. And
among masters no one was more mysterious than Tom Daly. And this,
too, was no ordinary day. Tom only shook his head and trotted on in
advance. His secret had been told only to Barney Smith, and with
Barney Smith he knew that it would be safe.

So they all trotted off at a pace much faster than usual. "What's up
with Black Tom now?" asked Sir Nicholas of Sir Jasper. "What's Daly
up to now?" asked Mr. Blake of Mr. Persse. They all shook their
heads, and declared themselves willing to follow their leader without
further inquiry. "I suppose he knows what he's about," said Mr.
Persse; "but we, at any rate, must go and see." So they followed him;
and in half an hour's time it became apparent that they were going to
Kilcornan.

But at Kilcornan they found a crowd almost equal to th