登陆注册
5236600000015

第15章 THE COURSING(2)

"That was a rotten hare," said Tom, who cantered up just then, "it gave no course at all.""Yes," puffed Grampus. "Hope the next one will show better sport.""Hope so too," answered Tom, "especially as it is Jack and Jill's turn to be slipped, and they are the best greyhounds for twenty miles round."Then the Red-faced Man gave some orders and Jack and Jill were brought forward by the man whose business it was to slip the dogs. One of them was black and one yellow; I think Jack was the black one--a dreadful, sneaking-looking beast with a white tip to its tail, which ended in a sort of curl.

"Forward now," said Grampus, "and go slow. There's sure to be another puss or two in this rough grass."Next second I was up and away, and before you could count twelve Jack and Jill were after me. I saw them standing on their hind legs straining at the cord. Then the collars fell from them and they leapt forward like the light. My thought was to get back to the wood, which was about a minute's run behind me, but I did not dare to turn and head for it because of the long line of people through which I must pass if I tried to do so. So I ran straight for the moorland, hoping to turn there and reach the wood on its other side, although this meant a long journey.

For a while all went well with me, and having a good start I began to hope that I should outrun these beasts, as I had the shepherd's dog and the retriever. But I did not know Jack and Jill. Just as I reached the borders of the moor I heard the patter of their feet behind me, and looking back saw them coming up, about as far away as I was from Tom when he shot me.

They were running quite close together and behind them galloped the judge and other men. There was a fence here and I bolted through a hole in it. The greyhounds jumped over and for a moment lost sight of me, for I had turned and run down near the side of the fence. But Tom, who had come through a gap, saw me and waved his arm shouting, and next instant Jack and Jill saw me too.

Then as the going was rough by the fence I took to the open moor, always trying, however, to work round to the left in the hope that Imight win the shelter of the wood.

On we went like the wind, and now Jack and Jill were quite close behind me, though before they got there I had managed to circle so that at last my head pointed to the wood, which was more than half a mile away. Their speed was greater than mine, and I knew that I must soon be caught.

At last they were not more than two yards behind, and for the first time I twisted so that they overshot me, which gave me another start.

Three times they came up and three times I wrenched or twisted. The wood was not so far away now, but I was almost spent.

What was I to do! What was I to do! I saw a clump of furze to the left, a big clump and thick, and remembered that there was a hare's run through it. I reached it just as Jill was on the top of me, and once more they lost sight of me for a while as they ran round the clump staring and jumping. When they saw me again on the further side I was thirty yards ahead of them and the wood was perhaps two hundred and fifty yards away. But now I could only run more slowly, for my heart seemed to be bursting, though luckily Jack and Jill were getting tired also. Still they soon came up, and now I must twist every few yards, or be caught in their jaws.

I can't tell you what I felt, Mahatma, and until you have been hunted by greyhounds you will never know. It was horrible. Yet I managed to twist and jump so that always Jack and Jill just missed me. The farmers on the horses laughed to see my desperate leaps and wrenches.

But Tom did worse than laugh. Noting that I was getting quite near the wood, he rode between me and it, trying to turn me into the open, for he wished to see me killed.

"Don't do that! It isn't sportsmanlike," shouted the Red-faced Man.

"Give the poor beast a chance."

I don't know whether he obeyed or not, as just then I made my last double, and felt Jill's teeth cut through the fur of my scut and heard them snap. I had dodged Jill, but Jack was right on to me and the wood still twenty yards away.

I could not twist any more, it was just which of us could get there first. I gathered all my remaining strength, for I was mad, mad with terror, and bounded forward.

After me came Jack, I felt his hot breath on my flank. I jumped the ditch, yes, I found power to jump that ditch where there was a rabbit run just by the trunk of a young oak. Jack jumped after me; we must both have been in the air at the same time. But I got through the rabbit run, whereas Jack hit his sharp nose against the trunk of the tree and broke his neck. Yes, he fell dead into the ditch.

I crawled on a few yards to a thick clump and squatted down, for Icould not stir another inch. So it came about that I heard them all talking on the other side.

One of them said I was the finest hare he had ever coursed. Others, who had dragged Jack out of the ditch, lamented his death, especially the owner, who vowed that he was worth ā50 and abused Tom. Tom, he said, had caused him to be killed--I don't know how, but I suppose because he had ridden forward and tried to turn me. The Red-faced Man also scolded Tom. Then he added--"Well, I am glad she got off, for she'll give us a good run with the harriers one day. I shall always know that hare again by the white marks on its back; also it is the biggest I have seen for a long while. Come on, my friends, the dog is dead and there's an end of it.

At least we have had a good morning's sport, so let's go to the Hall and get some lunch."*****

The Hare paused for a little, then looked up at me in its comical fashion and asked--"Did you ever course hares, Mahatma?"

"Not I, thank goodness," I answered.

"Well, what do you think of coursing?"

"I would rather not say," I replied.

"Then I will," said the Hare, with conviction. "I think it horrible.""Yes, but, Hare, you do not remember the pleasure this sport gives to the men and the dogs; you look at it from an entirely selfish point of view.""And so would you, Mahatma, if you had felt Jack's hot breath on your back and Jill's teeth in your tail."

同类推荐
  • 王文恪公笔记

    王文恪公笔记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 白云守端禅师广录

    白云守端禅师广录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 内经博议

    内经博议

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 医垒元戎

    医垒元戎

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 三厨经

    三厨经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 总裁,我错了(全本)

    总裁,我错了(全本)

    二十六岁,无才无貌无色,普通公司职员员工。这是对妙安兰的所有描述。这样一个已经快要奔三的女人,整天坐在办公室里和一群三十出头四十未到的女人唧唧喳喳的讨论各色帅哥,讨论还不算,甚至将魔爪伸向了在电梯里第一次遇到的英俊小帅哥。然而晴天霹雳,怎料此帅哥居然就是顶头BOSS公司大总裁!妙安兰顿时觉得人生灰暗,世界颠倒。她拼搏了整整三年!不,应该是拼搏了整整二十六年!从她诞生开始就努力为了活着而喝奶,然后上幼儿园、上小学、上初中、上高中、上大学。毕业了之后她投了一百八十三份简历,面试了九十七次,实习了五十六回,终于在这个公司有了立足之力……但是天算不如人算,她撞到了前无古人后无来者的小总裁!方千亦。谁说总裁是很老很老的?谁说总裁是大腹便便的?!谁说总裁是满脸皱纹的?!谁说她就抽谁!没看见面前这个总裁白白嫩嫩的么?!“总裁大人!我上有老下有老,还要养一个美丽可爱活泼动人的男朋友,为了维持这个家我呕心沥血掏心掏肺,现在如果你开除我的话我就再也没有活下去的希望了!总裁大人啊,您就可怜我这么尽心尽力为公司办事的份上不要开除我吧,无论让我做什么都可以,扫地擦桌洗衣服洗厕所!无论干什么都可以啊!我以后再也不敢骚扰您,再也不敢跟您搭讪了!我坚决维护咱们公司的名誉,以效忠咱们公司作为第一准则,时时刻刻为公司奉献我年轻的生命!”撇下了所有的面子她可怜兮兮的抱着某总裁的裤管哀求……某总裁沉思了片刻,然后漂亮的小嘴一张:“好啊,无论让你做什么都可以吗?”然后,她就被这只前无古人后无来者的小总裁BOSS给牢牢抓住了……之后到底会发生怎样惨无人道的事情呢?嘿嘿嘿嘿……那一天我进电梯看到一个身材笔挺容貌绝佳的帅哥压根就没有想过他就是总裁!当然如果我知道的话就不会发生后来那么惨烈的事情!我声明,当时我是真的不知道他就是总裁,而且他看上去年纪有点小,最多二十出头的模样,我都已经二十六了,看到这样的嫩芽心里就一阵痒痒,然后满脸堆着肥肉嬉皮笑脸的攀上他的肩膀:“小朋友,你也上班呀?”
  • 冰寒为渊

    冰寒为渊

    哪一个才是真的你,如果这就是你的游戏,我明长渊愿背负所有的骂名来让你游戏人间。亲情,爱情,是不理解的转身?是踏在心上的那一脚,还是抹去眼角泪水的那双手?我木寒冰都不需要。寒冰似渊,我自苍茫中来,本想阅尽世间繁华,奈何情牵意乱,盼归已是不归之路。楚辞,你可愿归?一直以来,想跟随你的脚步,奈何情深缘浅。承君真情,还君成全,就让我陆无忧还你们一世缘牵。亲情,友情,爱情。
  • 傲娇校草,你的套路走不起

    傲娇校草,你的套路走不起

    “记住,洛城的王,风离痕不能惹”风离痕,整个洛城都在他的掌握中,他冷漠,尊贵,多金,危险,恐怖,人人敬畏他,避之不及。她与风离痕的的一次意外邂逅,从此便被风离痕缠上。“丫的,谁说风离痕冷酷的,我要去问候问候他祖宗!”她生气。风离痕慢慢靠近她,她连连后退,“stop,你说你喜欢我,那你给我个理由,我凭什么喜欢你。”风离痕邪笑,“我财大气粗,要不要感受一下?”
  • 带着英雄联盟系统回火影

    带着英雄联盟系统回火影

    方伟穿越了,穿越后的他成为了佐助的弟弟,还随身带着英雄联盟系统,”奇怪我的沙子怎么不听我的话了“我爱罗很纳闷,方伟贼笑着解锁了英雄沙漠皇帝阿兹尔,他解锁蛮王,和雾忍七刀众比刀术,解锁盲僧,与小李和凯比体术。他利用英雄联盟系统在火影世界里留下一个又一个的传说。ps,书友群:661086321,咆哮一群,欢迎大家进入聊天打屁。
  • 空白记忆的碎片

    空白记忆的碎片

    时而聪慧,时而愚昧,时而不靠谱,时而不着调,偏偏是这位有大小姐脾气的人,有些时候让人觉得很有安全感。力量越强,责任越大,这就是命运。看这位公主殿下在人类世界掀起多大的风浪,山河风景,世间百态。亦正亦邪全在一念之间,一念永恒。
  • 妃常穿越

    妃常穿越

    穿越到异世王朝,成为绝色王爷妃。初次结合,两人却互相看不顺眼,他想诱她,她要自由。可是,冤冤相报,他们就是上辈子的冤家,总要在这一次有个了结。宫斗、宅斗,助他夺江山、安四夷!却不小心爱上他!【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 夜半听风

    夜半听风

    悬疑版简介:一个又一个接踵而至的案件,一封又一封挑衅警方的书信,看似毫不相关却又紧密相连,他们???究竟为何而来?当黎明的曙光再一次闪耀,当停息的心脏再一次跳动,死神的镰刀在人性中颤动,被束缚的野兽挣脱了牢笼,黑暗终于笼罩了整个城市???言情版简介:他对于罪犯来说是克星,可对于她来说:他是个在她的调戏下会面红耳赤还死死硬撑着要反击的大男孩。他和她的相遇只是偶然;而那个他对于她来说,就像晴空中的云朵,相依多年,是多年来最好的朋友和伙伴,夏日的微风寒冷刺骨,阴冷的雨天埋葬了谁的心动,我们看不透,我们猜不出???这个懵懂却格外坚强的女孩在面临选择时,他亦或是他,谁胜谁负?
  • 皇上的妖魅皇后

    皇上的妖魅皇后

    重生一世,真是老天都在帮她,这一世,她要打脸虐渣渣,想欺负她,别说窗了,老鼠洞都没有!却不料被某个腹黑给看上了“王妃,手疼不,为夫帮你打吧”把她给宠上天,情敌?你也不看看你有资格做我的情敌没有,没脸没身材,还敢妄想我夫君会爱上你?
  • 男神别那么傲娇

    男神别那么傲娇

    新书《萧爷的娇气包又飒又凶》火热连载中,搜笔名:吕涵芷,求亲们继续爱~~“我今年才18,我还是一朵花,要是跨进这扇门,免不了变成豆腐渣,但是,今夜要不成豆腐渣,这一生都抓瞎。”某女纠结的抓头。一夜惊情。三日后,一纸婚书,一朵花变成了悲催小后妈。白天和傲娇儿子在学校挨骂,晚上遭到邪性总裁的变相惩罚。翌日,傲娇儿子季小陌笑的天真烂漫,某女气得咬牙切齿。“要淡定!不想当正牌夫人的小三儿不是好后妈。”某女咆哮了,“我只想当个安静的后妈!"【偶尔会抽,删除收藏,重新收藏阅读即可。】
  • 保卫我们的钱包:通胀下的投资理财之道

    保卫我们的钱包:通胀下的投资理财之道

    本书以当下的通货膨胀可能中长期化、曲折化、反复化的经济形势为背景,指引读者借力通胀,打赢这场钱包保卫战。全书分投资和消费两大板块展开论述,内容涉及黄金、白银、收藏品、股票、房产、基金、债券、保险等投资工具,并新增负债理财内容,帮助深受通胀困扰的您扫除理财死角,啃下理财难点,实现资产增值的目标!