INTRODUCTORY 21 



accept his apologies in a kindly spirit, even though 

 he has jumped on to the small of your back. 

 If a man bangs up against you in a gateway, and 

 at once expresses his sorrow, you should smother 



the d n that rises to your lips from the pain 



of a crushed leg. Because a man behaves like 

 a cad, there is no reason why you should forget 

 to be a gentleman. In the rough-and-tumble 

 which generally ensues when a large field is trying 

 to get a good start, some little accident is certain 

 to happen, but the fault is more the eager- 

 ness of the crowd than the individual who is 

 the apparent direct cause. Curses and harsh 

 words always seem to me out of place in the 

 hunting-field, where every one should be jolly and 

 bent on enjoyment. An angry word will blight 

 the pleasure of a sensitive man for the rest of 

 the day, and those who are thick-skinned should 

 remember this. Of course, an actual row in the 

 field is the very worst form, and is an insult to 

 the master, for those things always find their 

 way into the papers and get hunting a bad name. 

 If two men feel that they must express their 

 opinions of each other in strong language, let 

 them retire to a distance out of sight and hearing 



