CHAPTER XVIII 



SOME HUMOURS OF THE CHASE 



•' I GO out hunting to amuse myself, not to try to break 

 my neck," an old hunting comrade of mine in bachelor 

 days used to declare, and he always appeared to succeed 

 most undeniably in his endeavour. Gifted with a 

 delightfully sunny disposition, the keenest apprehen- 

 sion of the humorous, and a fine flow of animal 

 spirits, it was seldom indeed that he failed to make 

 us laugh in the evening over some of his experiences 

 of the day. 



Though I do not think he ever pretended to any 

 great appreciation of hunting so far as houndwork 

 is concerned, he is a keen lover and a good judge of 

 a horse, and riding was one of his greatest pleasures. 

 Nothing connected with any horse that was out 

 escaped him. He made a point of noticing what every 

 one rode, and how they rode them ; while falls, 

 refusals, and blunders were stored up in the treasure- 

 house of his memory as well as the masterly achieve- 

 ments of other coveted steeds. 



Such a man could hardly fail to find amusement in 

 the hunting-field, even on a bad scenting day, and 

 being socially inclined as well as being a universal 



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