WILD SPORT IN BRITTANY. 153 



much to mechanical reasons, arising from their low stature, as to 

 the brave spirit by which they were ever inspired ; for the great 

 General maintained that the heart, in impelling the blood to the 

 extremities, would have so much less work to do in a small frame 

 than a large one, in a short than a tall man ; and therefore would 

 become fatigued, and strike work in one more quickly than in the 

 other : hence his preference for soldiers of low stature on long 

 and arduous campaigns. What country could have met his 

 requirements so fully in this respect as Lower Brittany, or where 

 could he have found little men with bigger hearts than among 

 this Celtic population ? 



The chasseurs, too, over and above their field-work, had kept 

 the ball rolling with considerable vivacity during the past three 

 nights at Gourin. So that when Kergoorlas proposed to give the 

 piqueurs and hounds a day's rest on Thursday, and hunt at 

 Kilvern on the following day, there was not found a dissentient 

 voice among the party to object to the arrangement. As for 

 St. Prix, he hailed it with delight, wolf-hunting being far more 

 after his fancy, and also more in accordance with his duty, than 

 the more dangerous sport of hunting the boar. Not that he 

 cared for danger ; but it was a real grief and vexation to him to 

 see his hounds gashed and mutilated, as they so often were, by 

 the tusks of that fierce animal. 



"The peasants of the district have already expressed the 

 utmost satisfaction and gratitude at the result of our chasse" said 

 St. Prix j " and if we could not give them another day, not a 

 man would grumble from Gourin to Concarneau." 



" That's just as it should be," said Kergoorlas ; but, at all 

 events, they shall have the benefit of my hounds on Friday ; and 

 then, if our sport be as good as it has hitherto been, they will 

 consider their wrongs amply redressed at least, for the present 

 year." 



"Aye, but no longer," rejoined St. Prix; "for as sure as 



