of "Tally ho!" and the merry sound of the huntsman's horn, put all
the pack in motion. The lane led up hill, and then widened out on some
wild open rounded downs, with here and there a white chalk-pit, showing
the character of the soil. Up it they tore--for the scent was strong,
and they were eager to make up for the time they had lost.

Every one was well warmed up now, and would have leaped across a chasm
or down a precipice, or performed any other desperate achievement which
they would not have attempted to do in their cooler moments. They
breasted the steep downs in magnificent style. The scent led up some of
the most difficult parts. For half a mile or more it led along the very
summit of the ridge, but a fresh sweet breeze came playing around them,
invigorating their muscles, and making them insensible to fatigue. The
scent led over a high mound, along the edge of a chalk cliff. As they
reached the summit, two figures were seen on the top of a similar
height. All were of opinion that they were Ernest and Buttar. They
looked scarcely half a mile off. The figures took off their caps, and
waved them: this act dispelled all doubts on the subject. Some began to
fear that they should catch the hares too easily, but Lemon assured them
that there was no fear of that, and so they soon found. Down the steep
they dashed, till he shouted to them to stop, and to turn off to the
left. A long line of chalk cliffs intervened between them and the
opposite height, and the scent led along their edge. Ernest and Buttar
had, in the meantime, disappeared; after a run of a quarter of a mile,
once more the scent was lost.

"Lost, lost!" shouted Lemon; and the hounds as they came up, went off in
every direction to try and find it. In vain, for a long time, they
hunted about, till a white spot was seen at the edge of the cliff, a
little farther on. The cliff was here more practicable. They looked
over; several pieces of paper appeared scattered on little green patches
down the precipice. Fearlessly they began to descend, though to some
people it would have been nervous work. The difficulty they found
showed that Ernest and his companion had in no way lost ground, but had
probably gained on them. Now they all reached a ledge, beyond which the
descent seemed utterly impracticable. Still Ernest and Buttar evidently
had got down.

"Where the hares have gone, we must follow," cried Lemon, to encourage
his party. "Hunt ab