Slipping this way and that as he tried to get his footing, James fell back into the water again to end up soaked completely. As preoccupied as he was, the young gentleman could not help but spy the black hare as it leapt along the edge of the pool only to kick mud directly into his face. Fair Maid and Boarer were off again after a shocked moment. The two dogs' pursuit caused even more water and filth to be kicked up, coating their already disheveled master with more mud. Draper, loyal to the end and not having been given the command to pursue, lay down upon the clean moss and waited for James to pull himself out.

Finally standing, his jacket dripping and boots sloshing, James stared after where the hare had gone... and laughed. 

It started as a chuckle, worked its way up into a guffaw, then passed by bubbling giggles into outright merriment at his situation. His blood was singing and his mind racing! Such a chase! Such a creature! James could not think of a single moment when he had felt more alive! With a joyous whoop, he flung himself backwards with a splash to float upon the waters of the ancient spring and stare up at the approaching oranges and pinks of dusk. Earnest had been right! There were simply no words to describe the thrill of chasing The Bonny Black Hare! Every time he tried so much as to even think of the words that might capture the essence of the hunt, he simply began to laugh out loud again! And here he had thought that the entire thing was some sort of jest on his guests' part. He had to admit he was right that there had been a joke on him, but the mastermind behind it was the rabbit.

After several moments, he righted himself again. Grinning like very much the fool, he called the commands to the younger dogs. "Fair Maid! Boarer! Leave off! To me, hounds, to me!" At this Draper raised his ancient head and rose to quietly pad closer to the water without jumping in. The younger two answered their master's call as well, only bounded back into the pool to frolic and spray water about with their antics. James just laughed again at this. He rose his attention towards where he had last seen the Hare run, and still not hearing nor seeing the hunting party, cupped his hands to his mouth to call out to her. "By God's Grace, thank you for the sport, coney! The day is yours! I'll come and play again some other time then!"

Unknown to him, the hunting part gathered together by Earnest was in something of a pickle. Most of them were used to hunting game across open fields or along well maintained roads or ancient paths long established through the forests. In these older woods, untouched for many decades by human or horse, the narrow deer trails barely allowed a single rider to pass, much less an entire line of them and their dogs and beaters! Earnest himself was a fine horseman, an experienced hunter of many years who knew his quarry and their lairs, and even he was having a time of it! And so when the hare appeared at the end of the trail, looking for all the world as though it were a knight charging down upon them with a lance, chaos ensued. Earnest gave a shout of triumph, which set of the pack of dogs with them. The horses were then spooked by the sudden baying of beagles that were almost right beneath their hooves thanks to the tight path and thorny bushes about them. The riders, in turn, called out in protest and shock as their mounts reared and danced nervously about of their own control. By just appearing, the Bonny Black Hare had managed to turn a well turned out hunting party into moppled mass of confusion!