58 CONVERSATIONAL HINTS 



depressing recital of his ill-luck, or of the dastardly 

 behaviour of the head-keeper in not stopping the 

 whole party for half an hour to search for an 

 imaginary bird, which is supposed to have fallen 

 stone-dead somewhere or other ; or of the iniquities 

 of the man from whom he bought his cartridges 

 in not loading them with the right charge ; or any 

 of the hundred inconveniences and injuries to 

 which sportsmen are liable. All these things may 

 be as he says they are. He may be the most un- 

 fortunate, the most unjustly treated of mankind. 

 But why insist upon it ? Why check the current 

 of sympathy by the dam of constant repetition? 

 And, after all, how trivial and absurd the whole 

 thing is ! Even a man whose career has been 

 ruined by malicious persecution will be avoided 

 like a pest if it is known that he dins the account 

 of his wrongs into everyone's ears. How, then, 

 shall the sufferer by the petty injuries of ordinary 

 sport be listened to with patience ? Of all bores, 

 the grievancemonger is the fiercest and worst. 

 Lay this great truth by in your memory, and be 

 mindful of it in more important matters than sport 

 when the occasion arises. 



I have been asked to say whether a man may 



