“They haven’t begun yet as far as I can see,” said Mr. Gotobed standing up in the carriage.

“They haven’t found as yet,” replied Morton.

“They must go on till they find a fox?  They never bring him with them?” Then there was an explanation as to bagged foxes, Morton not being very conversant with the subject he had to explain.  “And if they shouldn’t find one all day?”

“Then it’ll be a blank.”

“And these hundred gentlemen will go home quite satisfied with themselves?”

“No; they’ll go home quite dissatisfied.”

“And have paid their money and given their time for nothing?  Do you know it doesn’t seem to me the most heart-stirring thing in the world.  Don’t they ride faster than that?” At this moment Tony with the hounds at his heels was trotting across the park at a huntsman’s usual pace from covert to covert.  The Senator was certainly ungracious.  Nothing that he saw produced from him a single word expressive of satisfaction.

Less than a mile brought them to the gate and road leading up to Chowton Farm.  They passed close by Larry Twentyman’s door, and not a few, though it was not yet more than half-past eleven, stopped to have a glass of Larry’s beer.  When the hounds were in the neighbourhood Larry’s beer was always ready.  But Tony and his attendants trotted by with eyes averted, as though no thought of beer was in their minds.  Nothing had been done, and a huntsman is not entitled to beer till he has found a fox.  Captain Glomax followed with Lord Rufford and a host of others.  There was plenty of way here for carriages, and half a dozen vehicles passed through Larry’s farmyard.  Immediately behind the house was a meadow, and at the bottom of the meadow a stubble field, next to which was the ditch and bank which formed the bounds of Dillsborough Wood.  Just at this side of the gate leading into the stubble-field there was already a concourse of people when Tony arrived near it with the hounds, and immediately there was a holloaing and loud screeching of directions, which was soon understood to mean that the hounds were at once to be taken away!  The Captain rode on rapidly, and then sharply gave his orders.  Tony was to take the hounds back to Mr. Twentyman’s farmyard as fast as he could, and shut them up in a barn.  The whips were put into violent commotion.  Tony was eagerly at work.  Not a hound was to be allowed near the gate.  And then, as the crowd of horsemen and carriages came on, the word “poison” was passed among them from mouth to mouth!

“What does all this mean?” said the Senator.

“I don’t at all know.  I’m afraid there’s something wrong,” replied Morton.

“I heard that man say `poison’.  They have taken the dogs back again.”  Then the Senator and Morton got out of the carriage and made their way into the crowd.  The riders who had grooms on second horses were soon on foot, and a circle was made, inside which there was some object of intense interest.  In the meantime the hounds had been secured in one of Mr. Twentyman’s barns.