第21章
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  Theonlyincidentworthrecordinghere,however,washisfirstrunathare-and-hounds。OnthelastTuesdaybutoneofthehalf-yearhewaspassingthroughthehallafterdinner,whenhewashailedwithshoutsfromTadpoleandseveralotherfagsseatedatoneofthelongtables,thechorusofwhichwas,“Comeandhelpustearupscent。“

  Tomapproachedthetableinobediencetothemysterioussummons,alwaysreadytohelp,andfoundthepartyengagedintearingupoldnewspapers,copy-books,andmagazines,intosmallpieces,withwhichtheywerefillingfourlargecanvasbags。

  “It’stheturnofourhousetofindscentforbig-sidehare-and-

  hounds,“exclaimedTadpole。“Tearaway;there’snotimetolosebeforecalling-over。“

  “Ithinkit’sagreatshame,“saidanothersmallboy,“tohavesuchahardrunforthelastday。“

  “Whichrunisit?“saidTadpole。

  “Oh,theBarbyrun,Ihear,“answeredtheother;“ninemilesatleast,andhardground;nochanceofgettinginatthefinish,unlessyou’reafirst-ratescud。“

  “Well,I’mgoingtohaveatry,“saidTadpole;“it’sthelastrunofthehalf,andifafellowgetsinattheendbig-sidestandsaleandbreadandcheeseandabowlofpunch;andtheCock’ssuchafamousplaceforale。“

  “Ishouldliketotrytoo,“saidTom。

  “Well,then,leaveyourwaistcoatbehind,andlistenatthedoor,aftercalling-over,andyou’llhearwherethemeetis。“

  Aftercalling-over,sureenoughthereweretwoboysatthedoor,callingout,“Big-sidehare-and-houndsmeetatWhiteHall;“andTom,havinggirdedhimselfwithleatherstrap,andleftallsuperfluousclothingbehind,setoffforWhiteHall,anoldgable-endedhousesomequarterofamilefromthetown,withEast,whomhehadpersuadedtojoin,notwithstandinghisprophecythattheycouldnevergetin,asitwasthehardestrunoftheyear。

  Atthemeettheyfoundsomefortyorfiftyboys,andTomfeltsure,fromhavingseenmanyofthemrunatfootball,thatheandEastweremorelikelytogetinthanthey。

  Afterafewminutes’waiting,twowell-knownrunners,chosenforthehares,buckledonthefourbagsfilledwithscent,comparedtheirwatcheswiththoseofyoungBrookeandThorne,andstartedoffatalong,slingingtrotacrossthefieldsinthedirectionofBarby。

  ThenthehoundsclusteredroundThorne,whoexplainedshortly,“They’retohavesixminutes’law。WerunintotheCock,andeveryonewhocomesinwithinaquarterofanhourofthehares’llbecounted,ifhehasbeenroundBarbychurch。“Thencameaminute’spauseorso,andthenthewatchesarepocketed,andthepackisledthroughthegatewayintothefieldwhichthehareshadfirstcrossed。Heretheybreakintoatrot,scatteringoverthefieldtofindthefirsttracesofthescentwhichtheharesthrowoutastheygoalong。Theoldhoundsmakestraightforthelikelypoints,andinaminuteacryof“Forward“comesfromoneofthem,andthewholepack,quickeningtheirpace,makeforthespot,whiletheboywhohitthescentfirst,andthetwoorthreenearesttohim,areoverthefirstfence,andmakingplayalongthehedgerowinthelonggrass-

  fieldbeyond。Therestofthepackrushatthegapalreadymade,andscramblethrough,jostlingoneanother。“Forward“

  again,beforetheyarehalfthrough。Thepacequickensintoasharprun,thetailhoundsallstrainingtogetuptotheluckyleaders。Theyaregallanthares,andthescentliesthickrightacrossanothermeadowandintoaploughedfield,wherethepacebeginstotell;thenoveragoodwattlewithaditchontheotherside,anddownalargepasturestuddedwitholdthorns,whichslopesdowntothefirstbrook。ThegreatLeicestershiresheepchargeawayacrossthefieldasthepackcomesracingdowntheslope。Thebrookisasmallone,andthescentliesrightaheaduptheoppositeslope,andasthickasever——notaturnorachecktofavourthetailhounds,whostrainon,nowtrailinginalongline,manyayoungsterbeginningtodraghislegsheavily,andfeelhisheartbeatlikeahammer,andthebad-pluckedonesthinkingthatafterallitisn’tworthwhiletokeepitup。

  Tom,East,andtheTadpolehadagoodstart,andarewellupforsuchyounghands,andafterrisingtheslopeandcrossingthenextfield,findthemselvesupwiththeleadinghounds,whohaveoverrunthescent,andaretryingback。Theyhavecomeamileandahalfinaboutelevenminutes,apacewhichshowsthatitisthelastday。Abouttwenty-fiveoftheoriginalstartersonlyshowhere,theresthavingalreadygivenin;theleadersarebusymakingcastsintothefieldsontheleftandright,andtheothersgettheirsecondwinds。

  Thencomesthecryof“Forward“againfromyoungBrooke,fromtheextremeleft,andthepacksettlesdowntoworkagainsteadilyanddoggedly,thewholekeepingprettywelltogether。

  Thescent,thoughstillgood,isnotsothick;thereisnoneedofthat,forinthispartoftheruneveryoneknowsthelinewhichmustbetaken,andsotherearenocaststobemade,butgooddownrightrunningandfencingtobedone。Allwhoarenowupmeancomingin,andtheycometothefootofBarbyHillwithoutlosingmorethantwoorthreemoreofthepack。Thislaststraighttwomilesandahalfisalwaysavantagegroundforthehounds,andtheharesknowitwell;theyaregenerallyviewedonthesideofBarbyHill,andalleyesareonthelookoutforthemto-day。Butnotasignofthemappears,sonowwillbethehardworkforthehounds,andthereisnothingforitbuttocastaboutforthescent,foritisnowthehares’

  turn,andtheymaybafflethepackdreadfullyinthenexttwomiles。

  Illfaresitnowwithouryoungsters,thattheyareSchool-houseboys,andsofollowyoungBrooke,forhetakesthewidecastsroundtotheleft,consciousofhisownpowers,andlovingthehardwork。Forifyouwouldconsiderforamoment,yousmallboys,youwouldrememberthattheCock,wheretherunendsandthegoodalewillbegoing,liesfarouttotherightontheDunchurchroad,sothateverycastyoutaketotheleftissomuchextrawork。Andatthisstageoftherun,whentheeveningisclosinginalready,nooneremarkswhetheryourunalittlecunningornot;soyoushouldsticktothosecraftyhoundswhokeepedgingawaytotheright,andnotfollowaprodigallikeyoungBrooke,whoselegsaretwiceaslongasyoursandofcast-

  iron,whollyindifferenttooneortwomilesmoreorless。

  However,theystruggleafterhim,sobbingandplungingalong,TomandEastprettyclose,andTadpole,whosebigheadbeginstopullhimdown,somethirtyyardsbehind。

  Nowcomesabrook,withstiffclaybanks,fromwhichtheycanhardlydragtheirlegs,andtheyhearfaintcriesforhelpfromthewretchedTadpole,whohasfairlystuckfast。Buttheyhavetoolittlerunleftinthemselvestopullupfortheirownbrothers。Threefieldsmore,andanothercheck,andthen“Forward“calledawaytotheextremeright。

  Thetwoboys’soulsdiewithinthem;theycanneverdoit。

  YoungBrookethinkssotoo,andsayskindly,“You’llcrossalaneafternextfield;keepdownit,andyou’llhittheDunchurchroadbelowtheCock,“andthensteamsawayfortherunin,inwhichhe’ssuretobefirst,asifhewerejuststarting。

  Theystruggleonacrossthenextfield,the“forwards“gettingfainterandfainter,andthenceasing。Thewholehuntisoutofear-shot,andallhopeofcominginisover。

  “Hangitall!“brokeoutEast,assoonashehadgotwindenough,pullingoffhishatandmoppingathisface,allspatteredwithdirtandlinedwithsweat,fromwhichwentupathicksteamintothestill,coldair。“Itoldyouhowitwouldbe。WhatathickIwastocome!Hereweare,deadbeat,andyetIknowwe’reclosetotherunin,ifweknewthecountry。“

  “Well,“saidTom,moppingaway,andgulpingdownhisdisappointment,“itcan’tbehelped。Wedidourbestanyhow。

  Hadn’twebetterfindthislane,andgodownit,asyoungBrooketoldus?“

  “Isupposeso——nothingelseforit,“gruntedEast。“IfeverI

  gooutlastdayagain。“Growl,growl,growl。

  Sotheytriedbackslowlyandsorrowfully,andfoundthelane,andwentlimpingdownit,plashinginthecoldpuddlyruts,andbeginningtofeelhowtherunhadtakenitoutofthem。Theeveningclosedinfast,andcloudedover,dark,cold,anddreary。

  “Isay,itmustbelocking-up,Ishouldthink,“remarkedEast,breakingthesilence——“it’ssodark。“

  “Whatifwe’relate?“saidTom。

  “Notea,andsentuptotheDoctor,“answeredEast。

  Thethoughtdidn’taddtotheircheerfulness。Presentlyafainthalloowasheardfromanadjoiningfield。Theyanswereditandstopped,hopingforsomecompetentrustictoguidethem,whenoveragatesometwentyyardsaheadcrawledthewretchedTadpole,inastateofcollapse。Hehadlostashoeinthebrook,andhadbeengropingafterituptohiselbowsinthestiff,wetclay,andamoremiserablecreatureintheshapeofboyseldomhasbeenseen。

  Thesightofhim,notwithstanding,cheeredthem,forhewassomedegreesmorewretchedthanthey。Theyalsocheeredhim,ashewasnolongerunderthedreadofpassinghisnightaloneinthefields。Andso,inbetterheart,thethreeplashedpainfullydownthenever-endinglane。Atlastitwidened,justasutterdarknesssetin,andtheycameoutonaturnpikeroad,andtherepaused,bewildered,fortheyhadlostallbearings,andknewnotwhethertoturntotherightorleft。

  Luckilyforthemtheyhadnottodecide,forlumberingalongtheroad,withonelamplightedandtwospavinedhorsesintheshafts,cameaheavycoach,whichafteramoment’ssuspensetheyrecognizedastheOxfordcoach,theredoubtablePigandWhistle。

  Itlumberedslowlyup,andtheboys,musteringtheirlastrun,caughtitasitpassed,andbeganclamberingupbehind,inwhichexploitEastmissedhisfootingandfellflatonhisnosealongtheroad。Thentheothershailedtheoldscarecrowofacoachman,whopulledupandagreedtotaketheminforashilling;sotheretheysatonthebackseat,drubbingwiththeirheels,andtheirteethchatteringwithcold,andjoggedintoRugbysomefortyminutesafterlocking-up。

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