University of Virginia Library

To-day they voted a battue
And hunt among the kangaroo.
Himself a horseman bold and good
As very few who ever rode,
Will on the hunt cold water threw.
“At all events it would not do
For the Professor, or indeed
For Chesterfield, to ride full speed
Through the thick scrub with fallen trees
And rabbit-burrows thick as bees.
And he would be much loath to lend
His worst horse to his dearest friend
For such a freak. Of course if Lil
And Kit and Margaret and Phil
Liked to ride their own nags they could,
Or lend them just as they thought good.
But in his judgment it was best—
At any rate he would suggest—
To get a shooting-party up,
And send some men ahead to stop
And some men back to drive the game
Right past. He knew the tracks they came
To drink and feed, and easily
Could post guns just where they passed by.”
“Why not do both?” asked Kit, who was
Ready upon the slightest cause
To ride wherever there was risk
Of breaking neck or limb, as brisk
In courting danger as her wit
Was ready in eluding it.
“Why not do both? We might divide
Some post ourselves, and others ride
To help the men. I volunteer.”
“And I,” cried Phil just after her,
Fired with the possibilities
Which might from the rencontre rise
(And which shrewd Kit had duly weighed
But thought she could contrive t'evade
On plea of ‘beating’ properly
Whenever he came too close by).
Phil lent the horse which Hall rode on,
First offered to Maud Morrison,
Who rode sometimes but “did not care,”
So she said, meaning “did not dare”
To ride that day. The only one
Who did not go but would have gone
Was Lil, who as above was told
When upon horseback was as bold
As she was timid otherwise.
But she was met with pleading eyes
By the Professor, when she glanced
In question, and discountenanced.
The bare idea of the ride
His active fancy terrified
With nightmare dreams of accidents,
Nor did he like experiments.