02 The Hunt

Before I was a teenager a circumstance happened that I have never forgotten. It was early in the spring; there had been a little frost in the night, and a light mist still hung over the woods and meadows. I and the other children were squatting around a fire at the edge of the woods, roasting an unfortunate hare, we had smoked out yesterday. When we heard, quite in the distance, what sounded like the cry of dogs. 

The oldest raised his head said, "There are the hounds!" and immediately dashed off, followed by the rest of us to the upper part of the meadow, where we could look over the hedge. Seeing several fields beyond and the road stretching of to the distance. My mother and old Daniel were also standing near, after hearing the commotion.

"They have found a runner," said my mother, "and if they come this way we shall see who it is."

And soon the dogs were all tearing down the field of young wheat. I never heard such a noise as they made. They did not bark, nor howl, nor whine, but kept on a "yo! yo, o, o! yo! yo, o, o!" at the top of their voices. Alongside them on the road came a number of men on fast bikes, some of them in black leather, all racing at speeds I had never seen before, as fast as the wind. Daniel snorted and looked woriedly after them, and we being young wanted to run after them, but Mother stop us in a low tone; here it seemed as if they had come to a stand; the dogs left off barking, and ran about every way with their noses to the ground.

"They have lost the scent," said Daniel ; "perhaps they will get off."

"What?" I said.

"Oh! I don't know what they'll do; likely enough it may be we'll never see them again after today; the stupid sod they can't outpace the dogs and bikes;" and before long the dogs began their "yo! yo, o, o!" again, and back they came altogether at full speed, making straight for our meadow at the part where the high bank and hedge overhang the brook.

"We shall see," said my mother; and just then a scruffy man with a long beard and stick thin limbs 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. Five or six men leaped their bikes clean over, close upon the dogs. The man tried to get through the hedge; it was too thick, and turned sharp round to make for the road, but it was too late; the dogs were upon them with their wild cries; we heard one shriek, and that was the end, caught and bound. One of the huntsmen rode up and whipped off the dogs, who would soon have torn them to pieces. He held them up by the collar torn and bleeding, and all the gentlemen seemed not well pleased.

As for me, I was so astonished that I did not at first see what was going on; but when I did look there was a sad sight; that was a person struggling, and groaning dragged on the grass. One of the riders was getting out of the bike covered with mud.

"His an idiot," said my mother.

"And serve him right, too," said the oldest of us kids.

I thought the same, but my mother did not join with us.

"Well, no," she said, "you must not say that; I am old here and have seen and heard a great deal, although Master is good to us it' does't change that things are different for him and us. They say, we do, but we'll must remember we can only be, exist under the rules. But that does't make rule breakers evil … they're just sad…pitiful...stupid."Shaking her head slowly.

While my mother was saying this we stood and looked on. Many of the riders had gone to the young man; but my master, who had been watching what was going on, was the first to scold him. His head fell back and his arms hung down, and everyone looked very serious. There was no noise now; even the dogs were quiet and seemed to know that something was wrong. I heard afterward that it was young George Gordon, the other courtyard's keepers only son, a fine, tall young man, who was now former pride of his family.

Two of the men was now riding off, no doubt to Keepers Gordon's, to let him know about his son. No when they returned they came back with a gun; presently there was a loud bang and a dreadful shriek, and then all was still; the boy moved no more. They carried him to our master's house.

My mother seemed much troubled; she said she had known his family for years. He was a funny lad with a sparkle in his eyes, and there was no known vice in him. She never would go to that part of the field afterward.

Not many days after we heard the bell tolling for a long time, and looking over the gate we saw a long, strange black car that was covered with tinted windows. Master and Daniel loaded a long gray sack into the back, while the bell kept tolling, tolling. What they did with the body I never knew.