"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."
