From Impington Park they went in a straight line to Littleton Gorse skirting certain small woods which the fox disdained10 to enter. Here the pace was very good, and the country was all grass. It was the very cream of the U. R. U.; and could the Senator have read the feelings of the dozen leading men in the run, he would have owned that they were for the time satisfied with their amusement. Could he have read Kate Masters' feelings he would have had to own that she was in an earthly Paradise. When the pony paused at the big brook11, brought his four legs steadily12 down on the brink13 as though he were going to bathe, then with a bend of his back leaped to the other side, dropping his hind14 legs in and instantly recovering them, and when she saw that Larry had waited just a moment for her, watching to see what might be her fate, she was in heaven. "Wasn't it a big one, Larry?" she asked in her triumph. "He did go in behind!" "Those cats of things always do it somehow," Larry replied darting15 forward again and keeping the Major well in his eye. The brook had stopped one or two, and tidings came up that Ned Botsey had broken his horse's back. The knowledge of the brook had sent some round by the road,—steady riding men such as Mr. Runciman and Doctor Nupper. Captain Glomax had got into it and came up afterwards wet through, with temper by no means improved. But the glory of the day had been the way in which Lord Rufford's young bay mare16, who had never seen a brook before, had flown over it with the Major on her back, taking it, as Larry afterwards described, "just in her stride, without condescending17 to look at it. I was just behind the Major, and saw her do it." Larry understood that a man should never talk of his own place in a run, but he didn't quite understand that neither should he talk of having been close to another man who was supposed to have had the best of it. Lord Rufford, who didn't talk much of these things, quite understood that he had received full value for his billet and mount in the improved character of his mare.
Then there was a little difficulty at the boundary fence of Impington Hall Farm. The Major who didn't know the ground, tried it at an impracticable place, and brought his mare down. But she fell at the right side, and he was quick enough in getting away from her, not to fall under her in the ditch. Tony Tuppet, who knew every foot of that double ditch and bank, and every foot in the hedge above, kept well to the left and crept through a spot where one ditch ran into the other, intersecting of the fence. Tony, like a knowing huntsman as he was, rode always for the finish and not for immediate18 glory. Both Lord Rufford and Hampton, who in spite of their affected nonchalance were in truth rather riding against one another, took it all in a fly, choosing a lighter19 spot than that which the Major had encountered. Larry had longed to follow them, or rather to take it alongside of them, but was mindful at last of Kate and hurried down the ditch to the spot which Tony had chosen and which was now crowded by horsemen. "He would have done it as well as the best of them," said Kate, panting for breath.
"We're all right," said Larry. "Follow me. Don't let them hustle20 you out. Now, Mat, can't you make way for a lady half a minute?" Mat growled21, quite understanding the use which was being made of Kate Masters; but he did give way and was rewarded with a gracious smile. "You are going uncommon23 well, Miss Kate," said Mat, "and I won't stop you." "I am so much obliged to you, Mr. Ruggles," said Kate, not scrupling24 for a moment to take the advantage offered her. The fox had turned a little to the left, which was in Larry's favour, and the Major was now close to him, covered on one side with mud, but still looking as though the mud were all right. There are some men who can crush their hats, have their boots and breeches full of water, and be covered with dirt from their faces downwards25, and yet look as though nothing were amiss, while, with others, the marks of a fall are always provocative26 either of pity or ridicule27. "I hope you're not hurt, Major Caneback," said Larry, glad of the occasion to speak to so distinguished28 an individual. The Major grunted29 as he rode on, finding no necessity here even for his customary two words. Little accidents, such as that, were the price he paid for his day's entertainment.
As they got within view of Littleton Gorse Hampton, Lord Rufford, and Tony had the best of it, though two or three farmers were very close to them. At this moment Tony's mind was much disturbed, and he looked round more than once for Captain Glomax. Captain Glomax had got into the brook, and had then ridden down to the high road which ran here near to them and which, as he knew, ran within one field of the gorse. He had lost his place and had got a ducking and was a little out of humour with things in general. It had not been his purpose to go to Impington on this day, and he was still, in his mind, saying evil things of the U. R. U. respecting that poisoned fox. Perhaps he was thinking, as itinerant30 masters often must think, that it was very hard to have to bear so many unpleasant things for a poor ￡2,000 a year, and meditating31, as he had done for the last two seasons, a threat that unless the money were increased, he wouldn't hunt the country more than three times a week. As Tony got near to the gorse and also near to the road he managed with infinite skill to get the hounds off the scent32, and to make a fictitious33 cast to the left as though he thought the fox had traversed that way. Tony knew well enough that the fox was at that moment in Littleton Gorse;—but he knew also that the gorse was only six acres, that such a fox as he had before him wouldn't stay there two minutes after the first hound was in it, and that Dillsborough Wood,—which to his imagination was full of poison,—would then be only a mile and a half before him. Tony, whose fault was a tendency to mystery,—as is the fault of most huntsmen,—having accomplished34 his object in stopping the hounds, pretended to cast about with great diligence. He crossed the road and was down one side of a field and along another, looking anxiously for the Captain. "The fox has gone on to the gorse," said the elder Botsey; "what a stupid old pig he is;"—meaning that Tony Tuppett was the pig.
"He was seen going on," said Larry, who had come across a man mending a drain.
"It would be his run of course," said Hampton, who was generally up to Tony's wiles35, but who was now as much in the dark as others. Then four or five rode up to the huntsman and told him that the fox had been seen heading for the gorse. Tony said not a word but bit his lips and scratched his head and bethought himself what fools men might be even though they did ride well to hounds. One word of explanation would have settled it all, but he would not speak that word till he whispered it to Captain Glomax.
In the meantime there was a crowd in the road waiting to see the result of Tony's man?uvres. And then, as is usual on such occasions, a little mild repartee36 went about,—what the sportsmen themselves would have called "chaff37." Ned Botsey came up, not having broken his horse's back as had been rumoured38, but having had to drag the brute39 out of the brook with the help of two countrymen, and the Major was asked about his fall till he was forced to open his mouth. "Double ditch;—mare fell;—matter of course." And then he got himself out of the crowd, disgusted with the littleness of mankind. Lord Rufford had been riding a very big chestnut40 horse, and had watched the anxious struggles of Kate Masters to hold her place. Kate, though fifteen, and quite up to that age in intelligence and impudence41, was small and looked almost a child. "That's a nice pony of yours, my dear," said the Lord. Kate, who didn't quite like being called "my dear," but who knew that a lord has privileges, said that it was a very good pony. "Suppose we change," said his lordship. "Could you ride my horse?" "He's very big," said Kate. "You'd look like a tom-tit on a haystack," said his lordship. "And if you got on my pony, you'd look like a haystack on a tom-tit," said Kate. Then it was felt that Kate Masters had had the best of that little encounter. "Yes;—I got one there," said Lord Rufford, while his friends were laughing at him.
At length Captain Glomax was seen in the road and Tony was with him at once, whispering in his ear that the hounds if allowed to go on would certainly run into Dillsborough Wood. "D—— the hounds," muttered the Captain; but he knew too well what he was about to face—so terrible a danger. "They're going home," he said as soon as he had joined Lord Rufford and the crowd.
"Going home!" exclaimed a pink-coated young rider of a hired horse which had been going well with him; and as he said so he looked at his watch.
"Unless you particularly wish me to take the hounds to some covert twenty miles off," answered the sarcastic42 Master.
"The fox certainly went on to Littleton," said the elder Botsey.
"My dear fellow," said the Captain, "I can tell you where the fox went quite as well as you can tell me. Do allow a man to know what he's about some times."
"It isn't generally the custom here to take the hounds off a running fox," continued Botsey, who subscribed43 ￡50, and did not like being snubbed.
"And it isn't generally the custom to have fox-coverts poisoned," said the Captain, assuming to himself the credit due to Tony's sagacity. "If you wish to be Master of these hounds I haven't the slightest objection, but while I'm responsible you must allow me to do my work according to my own judgment44." Then the thing was understood and Captain Glomax was allowed to carry off the hounds and his ill-humour without another word.
But just at that moment, while the hounds and the master, and Lord Rufford and his friends, were turning back in their own direction, John Morton came up with his carriage and the Senator. "Is it all over?" asked the Senator.
"All over for to-day," said Lord Rufford.
"Did you catch the animal?"
"No, Mr. Gotobed; we couldn't catch him. To tell the truth we didn't try; but we had a nice little skurry for four or five miles."
"Some of you look very wet." Captain Glomax and Ned Botsey were standing22 near the carriage; but the Captain as soon as he heard this, broke into a trot45 and followed the hounds.
"Some of us are very wet," said Ned. "That's part of the fun."
"Oh;—that's part of the fun. You found one fox dead and you didn't kill another because you didn't try. Well; Mr. Morton, I don't think I shall take to fox hunting even though they should introduce it in Mickewa. What's become of the rest of the men?"
"Most of them are in the brook," said Ned Botsey as he rode on towards Dillsborough.
Mr. Runciman was also there and trotted46 on homewards with Botsey, Larry, and Kate Masters. "I think I've won my bet," said the hotel-keeper.
"I don't see that at all. We didn't find in Dillsborough Wood."
"I say we did find in Dillsborough Wood. We found a fox though unfortunately the poor brute was dead."
"The bet's off I should say. What do you say, Larry?"
Then Runciman argued his case at great length and with much ability. It had been intended that the bet should be governed by the fact whether Dillsborough Wood did or did not contain a fox on that morning. He himself had backed the wood, and Botsey had been strong in his opinion against the wood. Which of them had been practically right? Had not the presence of the poisoned fox shown that he was right? "I think you ought to pay," said Larry.
"All right," said Botsey riding on, and telling himself that that was what came from making a bet with a man who was not a gentleman.
"He's as unhappy about that hat," said Runciman, "as though beer had gone down a penny a gallon."
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1
covert
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| adj.隐藏的；暗地里的 | |
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paragon
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| n.模范，典型 | |
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skulked
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| v.潜伏，偷偷摸摸地走动，鬼鬼祟祟地活动( skulk的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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nonchalance
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| n.冷淡，漠不关心 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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7
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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disdained
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| 鄙视( disdain的过去式和过去分词 )； 不屑于做，不愿意做 | |
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11
brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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16
mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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condescending
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| adj.谦逊的,故意屈尊的 | |
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18
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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19
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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20
hustle
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| v.推搡；竭力兜售或获取；催促；n.奔忙(碌) | |
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21
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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22
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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scrupling
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| v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的现在分词 ) | |
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25
downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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provocative
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| adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的 | |
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ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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28
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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29
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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30
itinerant
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| adj.巡回的；流动的 | |
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31
meditating
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| a.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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32
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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33
fictitious
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| adj.虚构的，假设的；空头的 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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35
wiles
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| n.（旨在欺骗或吸引人的）诡计，花招；欺骗，欺诈( wile的名词复数 ) | |
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36
repartee
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| n.机敏的应答 | |
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37
chaff
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| v.取笑，嘲笑；n.谷壳 | |
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38
rumoured
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| adj.谣传的；传说的；风 | |
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39
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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40
chestnut
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| n.栗树，栗子 | |
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41
impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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42
sarcastic
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| adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的 | |
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43
subscribed
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| v.捐助( subscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；签署，题词；订阅；同意 | |
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44
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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45
trot
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| 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 | |
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46
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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