THE SPORTSMAN IN FRANCE. 57 



new method of hunting. The numbers 

 amounted to nearly forty, thirty-five of 

 whom I strongly suspected would not be 

 in at the death ; but as the gentle immer- 

 sion our host of the chateau had under- 

 gone was kept a profound secret, these 

 boar-chasing aspirants little knew what 

 they had to encounter. 



The horse I had selected for myself was 

 the property of an ex-officer in the garde- 

 du-corps of Charles the Tenth ; and as he 

 had two or three more in his stables of 

 the right sort, the animal was entirely at 



my disposal. Captain P and Mr. 



W were equally fortunate, the gentle- 

 men who had kindly offered the use of 

 their steeds having one or more in their 

 stud for themselves. 



I had contemplated getting up a "drag," 



by way of giving them a taste of what 



they would have to do on the grand day ; 



but being apprehensive that, in case of a 



D 3 



