olonel is such a muff," said the Colonel himself, "that he
will never presume to be angry with anybody again. But if my cousin
and Miss Dormer are not very much obliged to you for what you have
done for them there will be nothing of gratitude left in the female
British bosom. You have probably given to them the most triumphant
moment of their existence."

"It was their own riding, Colonel; I had nothing to do with it."

"I am so much obliged to you, Sir," said Nina.

"And so am I," said Ayala, "though it was such a pity that Colonel
Stubbs got into the water."

At that moment came the long expected call. Tony Tappett had killed
his fox, after crossing and re-crossing through the wood half a score
of times. "Is it all over?" asked Ayala, as they hurried down the
knoll and scurried down the line to get to the spot outside the wood
to which Tony was dragging the carcase of his defeated enemy.

"It's all over for him," said Larry. "A good fox he was, but he'll
never run again. He is one of them bred at Littlecotes. The foxes
bred at Littlecotes always run."

"And is he dead?" asked Nina. "Poor fellow! I wish it wasn't
necessary to kill them." Then they stood by till they saw the
body of the victim thrown up into the air, and fall amongst the
blood-smirched upturned noses of the expectant pack.

"I call that a pretty little run, Sir Harry," said Larry Twentyman.

"Pretty well," said Sir Harry; "the pace wasn't very great, or that
pony of mine which Miss Dormer is riding could not have lived with
it."

"Horses, Sir Harry, don't want so much pace, if they are allowed to
go straight. It's when a man doesn't get well away, or has made a
mess with his fences, that he needs an extra allowance of pace to
catch the hounds. If you're once with them and can go straight you
may keep your place without such a deal of legs." To this Sir Harry
replied only by a grunt, as on the present occasion he had "made a
mess with his fences," as Larry Twentyman had called it.

"And now, young ladies," said Larry, "I hope you'll come in and see
my missus and her baby, and have a little bit of lunch, such as it
is."

Nina asked anxiously whether there would not be another fox. Ayala
also was anxious lest in accepting the proffered hospitality she
should lose any of the delights of the day. But it was at length
arranged that a quarter of an hour should be allowed before Tony took
his hounds over to the Bragton coverts. Immediately Larry w