Being tall and tolerably strong, I managed to
get my back against a wall, ana to keep it there,
while these Mohocks swept past; but the people
round me were knocked over like ninepins. This
wave of humanity ebbed in due course, and
carried me out with it into the garden, where I
found a wretched brass band playing a polka,
and some most atrocious-looking scoundrels
grotesquely dancing in couples to the music.

I got out through the garden to the stables,
and thence round again to the front, where I
found an access of company, all pretty much of
the same stamp. I was pushing my way through
them when I heard my name pronounced, and
looking round saw an old acquaintance. Most
Londoners know the appearance of the King of
the Cabmen: a sovereign whose throne is a
Hansom driving-box, and whose crown is the
curliest-brimmed of "down the road" hats. I have for
many years enjoyed the privilege of this
monarch's acquaintance, and have, in bygone
days, been driven by him to the Derby, when
he has shown a capital appreciation in the
matter of dry sherry as a preferable drink to
sweet champagne, and once confidentially
informed me—in reference to his declining a
remnant of raised pie—that "all the patties
in the world was nothing to a cold knuckle
of lamb." The monarch couldn't quite make
out my presence on Buckhurst Hill (he was
evidently there as a patron of the sport), but
he struck his nose with his forefinger, and
said mysteriously, "Lookin' after 'em, sir?"
I nodded, and said "Yes," upon which he winked
affably, declared, without reference to
anything in particular, that "he wasn't licked yet,
and wouldn't be for ten year," and made his
way in the direction of the tap.

The aspect of the day now settled down into a
slate-coloured gloom, and a bitter east wind came
driving over the exposed space in front of the
Roebuck where the crowd stood. Hitherto
there had not been the slightest sign of any
start, but now some half-dozen roughish men
on long-haired cobs, ill-built clumsy creatures,
without the ghost of a leap in any of them, were
moving hither and thither; and in the course of
half an hour the old huntsman, mounted on a
wretched chesnut screw, blowing a straight
bugle, and followed by four couple and a
half of harriers, made his way through the
crowd and entered the inn-yard. After another
half-hour, we had another excitement in the
arrival of a tax-cart containing something which
looked like the top of a tester-bed in a
servant's attic, but wider which was reported to
be the stag; and the delight of the populace
manifested itself in short jumps and attempted
peepings under the mysterious cover. Then we
flagged again, and the mob, left to itself, had to
fall back on its own practical humour, and
derived great delight from the proceedings of a
drunken person in a tall hat, who butted all his
neighbours in the stomach- and from a game at
foot-ball which had the advantage of enabling
the players to knock down everybody, men,
women, and children, near to whom the ball was
kicked. At length even these delights began to
pall ; the start had been advertised for two
o'clock; it was already three; and discontent
was becoming general, when a genius hit upon
the notion of setting tire to the, lovely bright
yellow furze with which the heath was covered,
and which was just coming into blossom. No
sooner thought of, than accomplished! Not in
one place but in half a dozen; smoke rose, crackling
was heard, and in a few minutes in place of the
pretty flower was a charred and blackened heap.
This was a tremendous success, and the mob,
though half stifled by the smoke and half singed
by the flame which leapt fiercely from bush to
bush under the influence of the wind, and roared
and crackled lustily, remained thoroughly
delighted, until the crowd of mounted sportsmen
had much increased, and the deer-containing cart
was seen to be on the move.

Bumping and jolting over the rugged ground,
the cart was brought to the bottom of a small hill,
and shouts arose that a space should be cleared
into which the deer could be uncarted. But this
phase of your British public does not like a clear
space; it likes to be close to what it wants to
see; and the consequence was that the crowd
clustered round within four feet of the cart,
and steadfastly refused to go back another inch.
The persons who managed the business seemed
to object; but, as all remonstrance was futile
they took off the top of the tester-bed, and a
light-brown deer, without any horns, and look-
ing exceedingly frightened, bounded out of the
cart, took two short side jumps, amid the roar
of a thousand voices, leaped some palings into
an adjacent garden, and then started off across
country at a splitting pace. The horsemen did
not attempt to follow, but struck off, some to
the right and some to the left, to find an easy
way into the fields, and the pedestrians climbed
on walls, and gave a thousand contrary opinions
as to where "she" had gone. The dogs I
never saw, nor did I see any further traces of
the mounted field, nor of the stag, nor of the
huntsman, nor did I find any one who had. No
sooner was the stag off, than the people began
to return home, and I followed their example:
convinced that of the numerous silly "revivals"
of which we have heard of late, this attempt to
resuscitate the Epping Hunt is one of the least
required and the most absurd.

A RENT IN A CLOUD.
IN TWENTY-FOUR CHAPTERS.

CHAPTER IX. ON THE ROAD.

CALVERT'S first care as he entered his room
was to ascertain if his purse was there. It was
all safe, and untouched. He next lit a cigar,
and, opening his window, leaned out to smoke.
It was a glorious autumn night, still, starry, and
cloudless. Had any one from the street beneath
seen him there, he might have said, "There is
some wearied man of brain-labour, taking his
hour of tranquil thought before he betakes
himself to rest; or he is one of those contemplative