'Dim all these foot people!' exclaimed Mr. Bragg, in well-feigned disgust,
as he came in view, and found all the Swillingford snobs, all the tinkers
and tailors, and cobblers and poachers, and sheep-stealers, all the
scowling, rotten-fustianed, baggy-pocketed scamps of the country ranged
round the cover, some with dogs, some with guns, some with snares, and all
with sticks or staffs. 'Well, I'm dimmed if ever I seed sich a--' The rest
of the speech being lost amidst the exclamations of: 'Ah! the hunds! the
hunds! hoop! tally-o the hunds!' and a general rush of the ruffians to meet
them.
[Illustration: CAPTAIN GUANO CAN'T GET HIS STIRRUPS THE RIGHT LENGTH]
Captain Guano, who had now come up, joined in the denunciation, inwardly
congratulating himself on the probability that the first cover, at least,
would be drawn blank. Tom Washball, who was riding a very troublesome
tail-foremost grey, also censured the proceeding.
And Mr. Puffington, still an 'am_aa_izin' instance of a pop'lar man,'
exclaimed, as he rode among them, 'Ah! my good fellows, I'd rather you'd
come up and had some ale than disturbed the cover'; a hint that the wily
ones immediately took, rushing up to the house, and availing themselves of
the absence of the butler, who had followed the hounds, to take a couple of
dozen of his best fiddle-handled forks while the footman was drawing them
the ale.
Pages:
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533