276 HUNTING MISERIES: 



country without meeting some one to press him to 

 " a glass," never enters a house where he is not offered 

 some form of liquid refreshment which would perhaps 

 be denied to any one else. On a cold, raw morning, 

 when they pass with the hounds on their way to the 

 meet, the servants will very frequently be hailed as 

 they come opposite the door of the village inn, and 

 tankard or bottle proffered, when the morning w^ind 

 blows bitter chill or the wet fog makes one cough, 

 is mighty hard to refuse. So is the tray with the 

 white cloth on it and many bottles and glasses which 

 the footman brings out to the men when hounds 

 arrive at the meet before the hall door, and we may 

 note what liberal measure is served out to the favoured 

 horsemen who are held in admiration by so many. 

 " Bvit drinking and hvinting are twa men's work," as 

 the Duke's Scotch huntsman, Mr. Jock Haggish, said 

 in Plain or Ringlets, and I " hate that glassing, glass- 

 ing" just as much as he did, for it has brought ruin 

 to some of the best and cleverest servants I have known. 

 It is on the way home, however, that temptation 

 most often assails the Hunt servants in a manner 

 which is very hard to resist. Tired, and empty as 

 to the stomach, for he has eaten nothing but a crust 

 since early morning, his limbs weary from long- 

 sustained muscular exertion, the Hunt servant jogs 

 home with one or two of the field who are pretty 

 sure to be going his way. Hunting men are pro- 

 verbially hospitable ; if they have had a real good 

 day the hospitality fairly overflows, and will take 

 no denial. " Glasses round and pails of gruel at the 

 first pub.," then " Now it's my turn. Shall we say the 



