"What hare?" I said.

"Oh, I don't know what hare; likely enough it may be one of our own
hares out of the woods; any hare they can find will do for the dogs and
men to run after"; and before long the dogs began their "yo; yo, o, o!"
again, and back they came all together at full speed, making straight
for our meadow at the part where the high bank and hedge overhang the
brook.

"Now we shall see the hare," said my mother; and just then a hare, wild
with fright, rushed by and made for the woods. On came the dogs; they
burst over the bank, leaped the stream and came dashing across the
field, followed by the huntsmen. Several men leaped their horses clean
over, close upon the dogs. The hare tried to get through the fence; it
was too thick, and she turned sharp around to make for the road, but it
was too late; the dogs were upon her with their wild cries; we heard
one shriek, and that was the end of her. One of the huntsmen rode up and
whipped off the dogs, who would soon have torn her to pieces. He held
her up by the leg, torn and bleeding, and all the gentlemen seemed well
pleased.

[Illustration]

As for me, I was so astonished that I did not at first see what was
going on by the brook; but when I did look, there was a sad sight; two
fine horses were down; one was struggling in the stream, and the other
was groaning on the grass. One of the riders was getting out of the
water covered with mud, the other lay quite still.

"His neck is broken," said my mother.