"Umph!" replies Harry; "but he need not have dropped it so hot on to me just because them two couple of loiterers stopped back. Blessed if I ever saw such hounds as them for messing about in cover. It's always the same. Caterer4 and Bellman, Pillager5 and Marksman, never up in time; and then if I gets on a bit, it's 'Where's them two couple? Go back and fetch 'em at once.' Dashed if I oughtn't to take a return ticket to every field in the county."
[Pg 27]
Charles, who thinks it by no means improbable that some day he may find himself with the horn of office, and Harry promoted to First Whip's place, merely says: "Well, you shouldn't be in such a thundering hurry to get off. You know your place is back, and back you should be."
At this juncture7 they ride up to The Bell and Horns, a famous halfway8 house, where they brew9 the best of ale, and can, if so disposed, give you a glass of the best whisky out of Ireland. The landlord, a sporting old veteran, bustles10 out and takes Tom's order for "Three pints11 of dog's nose" (a compound of ale and gin), "and some gruel13 for the nags14."
"Well, what sort of a day have you had?" says he. "Nay16, nay, don't mind the hound, let him be," as Harry is proceeding17 to correct Minstrel's attack of curiosity concerning the construction of Boniface's waistcoat. "The old boy and I are friends," and he pats the hound's sensible head.
Old Tom, having taken his face out of the[Pg 28] pint12 pot, and smacking18 his lips, replies: "A first-rate day. Found in the gorse, run through Bouffler's meadows up to the Mere6, turned in the lane, where the fox was headed, then over the Ring Hills, and killed by Bromley Wood. Charles here," pointing to his aide-de-camp, "was the means of our killing19; and I must say Harry did uncommon20 well, though he does always want to be in front."
At this meed of praise from their chief both the Whips feel some inches taller, and Harry quite forgets his rating in the morning.
The horses gruelled and the score paid by the Huntsman, they are again on the road, having been joined by a couple of farmers going their way as far as the cross-roads, and with whom old Tom is soon in close confabulation. Harry rides for some distance without vouchsafing21 a word, save an occasional "Whip, get for'ard," to some straggler of the pack. At last he says:
"Charles, the old man is a good 'un, and[Pg 29] no mistake. I'd sooner have a kick from him than sixpence from anyone else. He's quite right—business is business; but when it's over how many of 'em would stand a glass, 'specially22 after a bit of a word?"
"You're right, my lad," replies Charles. "You'll go mony a day afore you pitch on a man like old Tom, or, for the matter o' that, on a pack like our'n. Look you, it ain't every Huntsman as 'ull let his Whips into the secret of breeding; but I'll be bound there ain't a hound as you and I don't know as much about as he does hisself."
"What are you two a-chattering about?" interrupts Tom.
"Only a-saying as how we knowed the pedigrees, sir," said Harry.
"So you ought. I'm sure I lets Charles and you know all I can. My system is 'fair do's.' Every man's got a summut to do with the run, and they're our hounds; and though I say it as perhaps shouldn't, we've the best Master and the best pack in England; and[Pg 30] when I comes on the society, if Charles there ain't ready to take my place, why it will break my heart. Ay, my lad, and then you can get for'ard as much as you like."
"I knows one thing," says Harry, whose heart is getting too big for his waistcoat, "the Bullshire have got the best Huntsman in England, or, for the matter o' that, in the world; and I'm main sorry as I vexed23 you to-day leaving them hounds in cover."
"Not a bit, lad, not a bit; it's over now. I like to see yer keen; but duty first, yer know," replies Tom. "Charles," he continues, "it looks all like a frost to-night. What do yer think?"
"Freezes now, and there are two or three of these hounds going lame24 a bit, and they find the ground a bit hardish," says Charles.
By this time they have arrived at the cross-roads, and the two farmers turn off, leaving the Huntsman and his two Whips with a three-mile trot25 before them.
It may be gathered from the above the[Pg 31] sort of terms that the Bullshire Hunt servants were on with each other, and what good feeling existed between them. Charles, the First Whip, had served his apprenticeship26 with the pack—first as a lad in the kennel3, then as Second Whip, and lastly where we find him. His whole soul lay in his work, and the most miserable27 time he owns to in his life was when he broke his leg riding over a gate, and was laid up for six weeks away from his darlings. "I shouldn't a minded if it had been in the summer," said he; "but having to lay up abed in the middle of this beautiful scenting28 weather, it's d——d hard luck, and I know the beauties will be wondering where the deuce I've got to." As soon as he could move, his first outing was to the kennels, where the reception, or rather ovation29, he obtained corroborated30 his opinion anent the hounds missing him.
Equally fond of hunting was Harry, though, it must be confessed, he liked the riding part the best. Originally a farmer's boy, he first made his appearance in the[Pg 32] hunting-field on the top of a leader out of the plough, which he had surreptitiously detached, and the way he rattled31 the old nag15 along, chains and all, over or through everything, gained him his place. Sir John Lappington, happening to see him, made inquiries32 about the boy, and when he was turned off by his indignant master—for of course he was turned off when his escapade came to light—he asked the lad if he would like to go to the kennels. Harry jumped at the offer, and when there he made himself so useful and learnt to ride so quickly that on the Second Whip leaving suddenly, through misplaced confidence in the amount of liquid he could "carry," Harry was put in as a stopgap, and did so well that he was officially appointed Second Whip, and has been so now for three seasons, giving every satisfaction.
Of his powers of riding the following anecdote33 will show:
They had been running hard one day last season, and were getting on terms with their[Pg 33] fox, when, just as they approached the Swill34 (a deep muddy brook35, to jump which when low was a thing to talk of, and when full almost an impossibility), a fresh fox jumped up right in the centre of the pack, and took half of them over the stream, which was bank full. To stop them was a necessity, and there was no bridge nearer than half a mile. Harry, without waiting a minute, pulled his nag together, and shouting: "Here's in or over. I canna swim; but I've naught36 to leave 'cept my togs, and the're master's," rode at it, and, to the astonishment37 of everybody, in another second was safe across and had stopped the hounds on the far side. How he got over is a mystery to this day, and no one was so astonished as himself. If you ask him he will tell you "he only knew hounds had to be stopped, and if he had gone under he could not have helped it. He trusted to luck and his spurs, and they pulled him through."
It is small wonder that everything works like clockwork when Master, Huntsman, and[Pg 34] Whips all act in concert and harmony, and Charles and Harry know full well the value of their situations. After the horses are done up for the night, and the hounds are seen to, fed, warm and comfortable on their benches, the two will as like as not go up and smoke a pipe at old Tom's cottage before turning in; and the knowledge they gain in those "evenings at home" is untold38, for, as Charles said, the old man keeps nothing back, and is never so pleased as when he is giving his Whips the benefit of his long experience. Should the frost set in, the Master will be down at the kennels in the morning for a certainty, and two or three instructive hours will be passed in talk of horse and hounds.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
harry
|
|
| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
kennels
|
|
| n.主人外出时的小动物寄养处，养狗场；狗窝( kennel的名词复数 )；养狗场 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
kennel
|
|
| n.狗舍，狗窝 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
caterer
|
|
| n. 备办食物者，备办宴席者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
pillager
|
|
| n.掠夺者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
6
mere
|
|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
juncture
|
|
| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
halfway
|
|
| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
brew
|
|
| v.酿造，调制 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
bustles
|
|
| 热闹( bustle的名词复数 )； （女裙后部的）衬垫； 撑架 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
pints
|
|
| n.品脱( pint的名词复数 )；一品脱啤酒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
pint
|
|
| n.品脱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
gruel
|
|
| n.稀饭，粥 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
nags
|
|
| n.不断地挑剔或批评（某人）( nag的名词复数 )；不断地烦扰或伤害（某人）；无休止地抱怨；不断指责v.不断地挑剔或批评（某人）( nag的第三人称单数 )；不断地烦扰或伤害（某人）；无休止地抱怨；不断指责 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
nag
|
|
| v.(对…)不停地唠叨；n.爱唠叨的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
nay
|
|
| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
proceeding
|
|
| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
smacking
|
|
| 活泼的，发出响声的，精力充沛的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
killing
|
|
| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
uncommon
|
|
| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
vouchsafing
|
|
| v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的现在分词 )；允诺 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
specially
|
|
| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
vexed
|
|
| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
lame
|
|
| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
trot
|
|
| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
apprenticeship
|
|
| n.学徒身份；学徒期 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
miserable
|
|
| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
scenting
|
|
| vt.闻到（scent的现在分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
ovation
|
|
| n.欢呼，热烈欢迎，热烈鼓掌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
corroborated
|
|
| v.证实，支持（某种说法、信仰、理论等）( corroborate的过去式 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
rattled
|
|
| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
inquiries
|
|
| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
anecdote
|
|
| n.轶事，趣闻，短故事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
swill
|
|
| v.冲洗；痛饮；n.泔脚饲料；猪食；（谈话或写作中的）无意义的话 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
brook
|
|
| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
naught
|
|
| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
astonishment
|
|
| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
untold
|
|
| adj.数不清的，无数的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |