WILD SPORT IN 3RITTANY. 9 



meantime, order a cup of coffee for me, do ; and ask Marseillier 

 to fill my holsters with bread, brandy, and cigars." 



" I've stock enough for a dozen in mine," said Keryfan, who, 

 however wild in his passion for the chase, never neglected the 

 commissariat department either for himself or friends. 



Another long twang from St. Prix's horn under my bed-room 

 window, and the impatient snort of his famous old Irish mare, 

 brought my toilet somewhat abruptly to a close ; and descending 

 to the porte-cochere, where three or four mounted chasseurs had 

 assembled, I was not a little shocked to find that I had been 

 detaining the whole party, St. Prix deeming it his duty, as a 

 matter of etiquette, to wait for a stranger especially invited, 

 and whom he intended himself to conduct to the rendezvous. 



The hounds had been sent on the night before to M. 

 Trevenec's chateau, standing on the outskirts of Kergloff; so 

 we picked along merrily to the meet, Keryfan and St. Prix 

 incessantly smoking cigars, which, in spite of a strong wind and 

 heavy rain, they kept alight by common lucifer matches adroitly 

 ignited on their saddle-bows, and conveyed in the hollow of one 

 hand to the fragrant weed a feat of legerdemain that, at the 

 pace we were going, Woudin himself would have been puzzled to 

 execute. 



The ceremonious greeting, the bowing, the hat-lifting, and 

 even the cheek salutation that ensued between my companions 

 and the Breton gentlemen already assembled at the cover side, 

 was a sight I shall never forget a scene it was worthy of Louis 

 Quatorze's court : I thought it would never end. Getting along- 

 side of Keryfan soon afterwards, I ventured, knowing my man 

 full well, to chaff him on the subject. 



"You must not think I envy you, Keryfan, the hug you 

 received from that weather-beaten old gentleman. Why, he's as 

 wiry as a Scotch terrier, and hirsute as Esau himself." 



