36 BRIT ANN Y AND THE CHASE. 



oif, having taken tlie many hints given to them ; and thus 

 it always is. To kill a wolf requires much skill and per- 

 fect stillness. A few good sportsmen at break of day can 

 do it, but with a daylight mob it is a farce. We then 

 adjourned to the village from which we had started, 

 making a triumphal entry, the horns in full work blowing 

 the " morts " of Reynard and poor puss, and women and 

 children looking admiringly on. Then came the feast, to 

 which each contributed his share, and loud was the vaunt- 

 ing and numerous the Munchausens uttered. Wolves 

 seemed to be thicker than sparrows, and boars too, and 

 each sportsman slew his imaginary thousands. Then fol- 

 lowed a shooting match, in which cliance and gravity stood 

 me in good stead. We fired at a mark on an oak tree. 

 The French went first, and fired wide. Then came my 

 friend with a large bore rifle, with which he sent a ball 

 close to the mark, throwing splinters far and near. Then 

 came my turn. The mark being nearly invisible, I elected 

 to aim at the hole my friend had made, and, as good luck 

 had it, I put my ball right into the hole. "Voila ces 

 Anglais comment ils tirent, — comme toujours." I said 

 nothing, but tossed my gun over my arm as if I could do 

 it ao-ain if I liked, and declined shootinir ao;ain until some 

 one had improved on my shot. The fact was, the shot was 

 a chance, and I thought it better not to hazard my repu- 

 tation by another. 



Such is the wolf-hunt ; and, as a natural consequence, 

 wolves are on the increase in the country. With wolf- 

 hunts well managed they would soon be exterminated ; 

 but, as it is, it is the Epping hunt on foot, with Bretons 



