"Well, on that note gentlemen, I think it’s time for me to get moving," said Brady, the huntsman. He upended his drink, then wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and walked to the door. "I’ll let hounds out, and as they say in the theatre: Let the fun begin."

Liam’s driver had both their horses out and standing ready to go by the lorry when Liam and Glenn came out of the pub.

"She was a nice horse, Glenn. Heaven knows what Dolan has done to her since I sold her."
"Well, we’ll find out soon enough."

Jim Brady flipped open the retaining strap on the leather case attached to his saddle and took out his hunting horn.

"Let’s have them then," he said to his driver.

The hounds inside the hound truck heard the sound of his voice and gave out some deep-throated woofs and eager to be out, scratched loudly at the door. As soon as the driver pulled back the bolt the door flew open and out poured a jumbling torrent of hounds like a mountain stream.

"Easy there!" growled the whipper-in. Cracking his whip to emphasize his words as they let forth a mixture of squeals, snarls and yelps around him.
"Come on then," said Brady in a melodious voice as he turned and walked his horse down the street. The hounds quickly bunched around him looking nervously over their shoulders as the whipper-in growled and chivvied the laggards on.
Glenn walked his horse over to where the Master was waiting.
"We’ll let them get ahead of us for a while," he said quietly.

They waited for a few minutes, then as the rest of the riders came up they followed on behind. The sound of the metal shoes echoed off the brick buildings and people came out to watch them ride by. Minutes later the houses ended and as the road narrowed into a lane they were out in the country. The wind was blowing strongly and the riders bowed their heads as powerful gusts buffeted them and flapped their coat tails. The unsettled horses refused to walk and jigged along snatching at their bits and tossing their heads.

"Let’s trot on," said Hennessey, trotting forward.
"Easy girl, easy," said Glenn pulling on the reins of the brown mare as she hardened her crest and broke into a canter.
"It’s the wind, it gets them upset when it’s gusting like this. They’ll settle once we get going," said Liam as his own horse put in a buck.

Glenn looked over his shoulder and counted the riders. There were twenty-three of them out. Three kids, seven women and thirteen men including the huntsman and his whip. As they drew close to a wood ahead of them, Brady looked over his shoulder. "Billy! Come on up," he yelled back, motioning with his arm.