"A man shouldn't let himself
be put upon by circumstances so as to be only half himself. Hang
it, man, cheer up, and don't let 'em see you going about like that.
It ain't what a fellow of your kidney ought to be. If they haven't
found I'm a nigger,--and by the holy he's away. Come along Larry
and forget the petticoats for half an hour." So saying, Runciman
broke into a gallop, and Larry's mare doing the same, he soon
passed the innkeeper and was up at the covert side just as Tony
Tuppett with half a score of hounds round him, was forcing his way
through the bushes, out of the coverts into the open field. "There
ain't no poison this time, Mr. Twentyman," said the huntsman, as,
setting his eye on a gap in the further fence, he made his way
across the field.
The fox headed away for a couple of miles towards Impington, as was
the custom with the Dillsborough foxes, and then turning to the
left was soon over the country borders into Ufford. The pace from
the first starting was very good. Larry, under such provocation as
that of course would ride, and he did ride. Up as far as the
country brook, many were well up. The land was no longer deep; and
as the field had not been scattered at the starting, all the men
who usually rode were fairly well placed as they came to the brook;
but it was acknowledged afterwards that Larry was over it the
first.
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