cially to Miss Tristram, who was always in the master's confidence; and I fear that the fellows alluded to included Miss Furnival and Miss Staveley.
And then there came the sharp, eager sound of a hound's voice; a single, sharp, happy opening bark, and Harriet Tristram was the first to declare that the game was found. 'Just five minutes and twenty seconds, my lord,' said Julia Tristram to Lord Alston. 'That's not bad in a large wood like this.'
'Uncommonly good,' said his lordship. 'And when are we to get out of it?'
'They'll be here for the next hour, I'm afraid,' said the lady, not moving her horse from the place where she stood, though many of the more impetuous of the men were already rushing away to the gates. 'I have seen a fox go away from here without resting a minute; but that was later in the season, at the end of February. Foxes are away from home then.' All which observations showed a wonderfully acute sporting observation on the part of Miss Tristram.
And then the music of the dogs became fast and frequent, as they drove the brute across and along from one part of the large wood to another. Sure there is no sound like it for filling a man's heart with an eager desire to be at work. What may be the trumpet in battle I do not know, but I can imagine that it has the same effect. And now a few of them were standing on that wide circular piece of grass, when a sound the most exciting of them all reached their ears. 'He's away!' shouted a whip from a corner of the wood. The goodnatured beast, though as yet it was hardly past Christmas-time, had consented to bless at once so many anxious sportsmen, and had left the back of the covert with the full pack at his heels.
'There is no gate that way, Miss Tristram,' said a gentleman.
'There's a double ditch and bank that will do as well,' said she, and away she went directly after the hounds, regardless altogether of the gates. Peregrine Orme and Felix Graham, who were with her, followed close upon her track.
