( I82 ) 



THE BORE OF THE HUNT. 



AND OTHER CHARACTERS. 



F all the bores in our renowned Hunt (and we 

 possess several), George Gander takes the front 

 berth. George is a bachelor, and lives at home 

 with his mother and sisters, and if he only succeeds in 

 boring those highly respectable ladies half as much as he 

 does the members of the Hunt, why, they are much to be 

 pitied, and that's all about it. He is the proud possessor 

 of a peculiarly wooden-looking countenance, wearing a per- 

 petual unmeaning sort of grin, and a wild, vacant-looking 

 eye. He also sports an eyeglass. When hounds hang 

 about all day, as they often do in the forest or some other 

 of the big woods, then our bore is in his element. Only let 

 him once get hold of you in a big ride, and he will ij€ver 

 leave you. Imagine a group of sportsmen assembled in the 

 principal ride of Raddleton Wood. *' Oh, lord ! here 

 comes that infernal bore. Gander ! " suddenly exclaims 

 Charles Wildoats, as he catches sight of our friend just 

 turning the corner, and bearing down on the little knot of 

 sportsmen. " Hang it ! I can't stand him at any price. 

 I'm off." *' Foxes deuced scarce, seemingly," remarks 

 George, having greeted the company. '* An idea has crossed 

 my mind," he goes on, ^^that it wouldn't be half a bad 

 notion to turn down a few jackals. What do jv^w say, 

 Jones? What do you think. Brown, eh? Will any of 



