The cobbler bent at his wooden foot, Beating sprigs in a broken boot; He wore old glasses with thick horn rim, He scowled at his work for his sight was dim. His face was dingy, his lips were grey, From primming sparrowbills day by day; As he turned his boot he heard a noise At his garden-end and he thought, "It's boys." He saw his cat nip up on the shed, Where her back arched up till it touched her head, He saw his rabbit race round and round Its little black box three feet from ground. His six hens cluckered and flucked to perch, "That's boys," said cobbler, "so I'll go search." He reached his stick and blinked in his wrath, When he saw a fox in his garden path. The fox swerved left and scrambled out Knocking crinked green shells from the Brussels Sprout, He scrambled out through the cobbler's paling, And up Pill's orchard to Purton's Tailing, Across the plough at the top of bent, Through the heaped manure to kill his scent, Over to Aldams, up to Cappells, Past Nursery Lot with its white-washed apples, Past Colston's Broom, past Gaunts, past Sheres, Past Foxwhelps Oasts with their hooded ears, Past Monk's Ash Clerewell, past Beggars Oak, Past the great elms blue with the Hinton smoke, Along Long Hinton to Hinton Green, Where the wind-washed steeple stood serene With its golden bird still sailing air, Past Banner Barton, past Chipping Bare, Past Maddings Hollow, down Dundry Dip, And up Goose Grass to the Sailing Ship. [Illustration: Seventh colored plate _Courtesy Arthur Ackermann and Son, New York_] The three black firs of the Ship stood still On the bare chalk heave of the Dundry Hill, The fox looked back as he slackened past The scaled red-hole of the mizzen-mast. VIEW HALLOO There they were coming, mute but swift, A scarlet smear in the blackthorn rift, A white horse rising, a dark horse flying, And the hungry hounds too tense for crying. Stormcock leading, his stern spear-straight, Racing as though for a piece of plate, Little speck horsemen field on field; Then Dansey viewed him and Robin squealed [Illustration: A white horse rising, a dark horse flying.] At the View Halloo the hounds went frantic, Back went Stormcock and up went Antic, Up went Skylark as Antic sped It was zest to blood how they carried head. Skylark dropped as Maroon drew by, Their hackles lifted, they scored to cry. The fox knew well, that before they tore him, They should try their speed on the downs before him, There were three more miles to the Wan Dyke Hill, But his heart was high, that he beat them still. The wind of the downland charmed his bones So off he went for the Sarsen Stones.