CHAPTER IV 

 MR. JOHN COUPLAND 



1870-1884 



BEFORE dipping into the storehouse of 

 memory for incidents and sport in my own 

 time, I must give you a few personal 

 details. 



After nearly two years in the Merchant Service, 

 I came to the conclusion that if I continued in that 

 profession I should never have an opportunity of 

 indulging my love for sport. The previous two 

 years' training on the Conway, and subsequent 

 time at sea, were not what the Americans would 

 describe exactly as " a picnic," but the discipline 

 and hard work certainly did me a lot of good, as 

 well as proving useful in after life. 



My father strongly advised me to go into business, 

 but I hated towns and loved a country life, so that 

 it did not take me long to decide on farming. A 

 very pleasant occupation for those who have a 

 natural bent that way, and the soil can always 

 be depended upon to give a fair return for outlay, 

 if judiciously expended. Although I can claim 

 that my efforts on the land nearly always met with 

 success, I have to admit that I squandered my 

 gains on illegitimate objects, such as speculating 



in hunters and backing horses on the race-course. 



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