"Who's for a jolly good game of hare and hounds?" exclaimed Tom Bouldon,
rushing into the play-room, where a number of boys were assembled, soon
after breakfast, on a lovely day during the Easter holidays. Nearly
everybody replied, "I am, I, I, I."
"That's right; we couldn't have finer weather, and it's sure to last.
I've been talking to young Bracebridge, and he has undertaken to do
hare," observed Bouldon. "I know what some of you will say: he's a new
fellow, and isn't fit for the work; but there isn't such a runner in the
school. You see how he enters into all the games, though he has never
played them before. I'll bet he'll make as good a hare as we've ever
had, if not a better. That's my opinion."
This oration of Tommy's had the desired effect. With but few
dissentient voices, Ernest was elected to the honour of acting hare.
Tommy hurried out to inform him of the fact. Ernest was not well
prepared for the undertaking. He had only entered two or three times
before into the sport, but still he sufficiently understood what was
required of him, to feel that he should make a very creditable hare.
He, however, thought that it would be more satisfactory if he was to
consult with Bouldon and Buttar, as to what line of country he should
take. They told him that if they knew, it would spoil their fun; so
they went and found Lemon, who gladly undertook to give him his advice
on the subject.
In the meantime, all hands were busily employed in making scent; that
is, tearing into the smallest possible pieces all the bits of paper they
could lay hands on. Ernest's consultation with Lemon was soon over.
Having put on his across-country boots, a short pair of loose trousers,
and taken in his belt a hole or so, grasping a trusty stick in his hand,
he set off by himself to have a look over the country.
The whole party of hounds numbered upwards of forty. There were some
very good runners among them; and, what was of more consequence, several
who knew the country thoroughly; so that Ernest knew that he must put
forth all his energies. This, however, was what he took delight in
doing.
No people but those who have played at hare and hounds, can fully
appreciate the excitement, the interest, and the pleasure of the game;
or the proud feeling of the hare, who finds that he is successfully
baffling his pursuers when he is distancing them by the rapidity of his
pace, or by the artfulness of his dodges; still all the time, whatever
twists and turns he may make, knowing that he is bound to leave traces
of his scent sufficiently strong to lead on the hounds.
The greater part of the day was consumed in preparations for the hunt.
Everybody engaged looked out their easiest shoes, and their thickest
worsted socks. Still a huntsman and a whipper-in were to be chosen:
Buttar proposed asking Lemon, and Bouldon seconded the motion. But then
it was suggested, that Ernest had consulted him as to the course he
should pursue. One or two cried out for Blackall. "No, no; let us ask
Lemon," said Buttar again; "if he knows too much about the course
Bracebridge is to take, he will not go; but if he thinks it is right, he
will. We can always trust Lemon's honour, you know."
No one dissented from this opinion. Probably Lemon himself was scarcely
aware how popular he really was; and certainly he would have been fully
satisfied with the grounds on which his popularity was founded. At
last, Lemon was met coming into the playground. Several voices assailed
him with "Will you be huntsman?"
"Will you be huntsman, Lemon?"
"I must take time to consider; it is a serious undertaking," he
answered, laughing. "I will see what Tommy and Buttar have to say."
They expressed their own opinions, and mentioned all that had been said.
"Very well, I can take the part very conscientiously," he added; "I
merely advised Bracebridge in a general way, what course to take; and
when he knows that I am to be huntsman, he will deviate sufficiently to
prevent me from being able to follow him, unless I get hold of the
scent."
In the evening, when Ernest came back, he expressed his perfect
readiness to have Lemon as huntsman. Bouldon was chosen as whipper-in.
"And I'll try to be one of the fleetest hounds," said Dawson, "since I'm
neither hare, nor huntsman, nor whipper-in."
Lemon possessed many qualifications for his office; and, among others, a
capital horn, on which he could play very well. We always got up our
games of hare and hounds in first-rate style. The huntsman, besides his
horn, was furnished with a white flag, fastened to a staff shod with
iron; while the whipper-in had a red flag. The hare had as large a bag
as he could carry of white paper, torn into very small pieces.
Frequently, too, the hounds dressed in blue or red caps and jackets,
which gave the field a very animated appearance; far better in one
respect than a real hunt with harriers, because we were certain that the
hare was enjoying the fun as much as the hunters, and whether he was
caught or escaped, would sit down afterwards to a capital dinner or tea
with them, and "fight his battles o'er again."
The morning for the hunt arrived. It broke, bright and beautiful! with
just enough frost in the air to give it freshness and briskness.
The boys were up soon after daybreak, and had breakfast at once, that
they might be ready to start at an early hour, and have the whole day
before them. They assembled, just outside the school-grounds, in a
small wood, which would conceal the hare from them, when he broke cover,
and enable him to get a good start.
The hunt was to be longer than any that had ever been run, and as there
was every probability that all the scent would be expended, it was
arranged that Buttar should accompany Ernest to carry an additional bag
of paper.
The huntsman sounded his horn cheerily, and all the hounds came pouring
into the woodland glade, accompanied by the Doctor, who seemed as eager
as any one to see the sport.
"Now, Buttar, are you all ready?" said Ernest, as they buckled up their
waist-belts, and grasped their leaping-poles. "Too--too--too," went the
huntsman's horn.
"Off hare, off hare," cried the Doctor. "Ten minutes law will give you
a fine start; you'll make play with it--away, away!" He clapped his
hands. Off flew Ernest and Buttar, fleet as greyhounds, and very unlike
the timid hares they pretended to represent.
The Doctor held his watch in his hand. The hounds meantime were getting
ready to start; one pressing before the other, taking a last look at
shoe-strings, tightening in their belts, rubbing their hands, in their
eagerness to rush out of the wood and commence the pursuit. They kept
looking up at the Doctor's countenance, to endeavour to ascertain by the
expression it wore whether time was nearly up. Those who had watches
were continually pulling them out for the same object. At last the
Doctor was seen to put his into his pocket. Lemon gave a cheerful sound
with his horn.
"Away, lads, away!" cried the Doctor, full of animation. The instant
the order was issued, the hounds made a magnificent burst out of the
wood, in full cry, led on by the huntsman, waving his flag, and followed
by Tom Bouldon, as whipper-in; an office he performed most effectually.
The Doctor stalked after them, enjoying the sport as much as anybody;
and, I have no doubt, longing to enter more fully into it, and to run
along with them.
Away went the pack, cheering each other on, across a field in which they
had found the scent. At the bottom of it ran a rapid brook, as they all
well knew. There were stepping-stones across it. It required a firm
foot and a steady eye not to fall in. It was a clever dodge of the hare
to gain time, for only one could cross at a time. There was scent on
each stone, to show he had crossed. Two or three slipped in, but were
speedily picked out again by their companions; and forming rapidly,
continued the chase on the other side, up a long green lane, with high
hedges on either side. They had to keep their eyes about them to
ascertain whether he had gone through the hedge, or kept up the lane.
On, on they went! at last a pathway, over a stile, appeared on the
right, leading through a thick copse. They dashed into it, but soon
found that the pathway had not been kept; and through briar and
underwood they had to force a passage; now losing the scent, now
catching it again; a wide, dry, sunny field lay before them; along it,
and two or three others of a similar character they had to go; and then
across another brook, over which, one after the other, they boldly
leapt. Once more they were in a green lane, with deep cart ruts in it.
Before them was a mud cottage, with thatched roof, and a small, fully
cultivated garden, enclosed by rough palings, in front of it.
An old couple looked out, surprised at the noise. "Oh, they be the
young gentlemen from Grafton Hall. What can they be after?" they
observed to one another.
"I say, good dame, have you seen a couple of hares running along this
way?" exclaimed Tom Bouldon, striking his staff into the ground, for the
hounds had lost the scent.
"No; but we seed two young gentlemen a scampering along here, and up
that there lane. Bees they demented? We didn't like to stop them,
though somehow we thought as how we ought."
"Lucky you didn't; they'd have kicked up a great row, let me tell you,"
answered Tommy, laughing heartily. He had not time to say more. The
shout of "Tally ho!" and the merry sound of the huntsman's horn, put all
the pack in motion. The lane led up hill, and then widened out on some
wild open rounded downs, with here and there a white chalk-pit, showing
the character of the soil. Up it they tore--for the scent was strong,
and they were eager to make up for the time they had lost.
Every one was well warmed up now, and would have leaped across a chasm
or down a precipice, or performed any other desperate achievement which
they would not have attempted to do in their cooler moments. They
breasted the steep downs in magnificent style. The scent led up some of
the most difficult parts. For half a mile or more it led along the very
summit of the ridge, but a fresh sweet breeze came playing around them,
invigorating their muscles, and making them insensible to fatigue. The
scent led over a high mound, along the edge of a chalk cliff. As they
reached the summit, two figures were seen on the top of a similar
height. All were of opinion that they were Ernest and Buttar. They
looked scarcely half a mile off. The figures took off their caps, and
waved them: this act dispelled all doubts on the subject. Some began to
fear that they should catch the hares too easily, but Lemon assured them
that there was no fear of that, and so they soon found. Down the steep
they dashed, till he shouted to them to stop, and to turn off to the
left. A long line of chalk cliffs intervened between them and the
opposite height, and the scent led along their edge. Ernest and Buttar
had, in the meantime, disappeared; after a run of a quarter of a mile,
once more the scent was lost.
"Lost, lost!" shouted Lemon; and the hounds as they came up, went off in
every direction to try and find it. In vain, for a long time, they
hunted about, till a white spot was seen at the edge of the cliff, a
little farther on. The cliff was here more practicable. They looked
over; several pieces of paper appeared scattered on little green patches
down the precipice. Fearlessly they began to descend, though to some
people it would have been nervous work. The difficulty they found
showed that Ernest and his companion had in no way lost ground, but had
probably gained on them. Now they all reached a ledge, beyond which the
descent seemed utterly impracticable. Still Ernest and Buttar evidently
had got down.
"Where the hares have gone, we must follow," cried Lemon, to encourage
his party. "Hunt about for a path--where there's a will there's a way!
Hurra, now!"
The hounds kept examining the ledge in every direction, and at a
distance they must have looked like a swarm of ants, so busy did they
appear. Still without success; and some of the more fainthearted
declared that they should have to climb up the cliff again, and find
some other way down, or give up the chase.
"No, no, nonsense," said the huntsman. "There is a way down, and the
way must be found."