THE SPORTSMAN IN FRANCE. 251 



of himself for having annoyed me in so 

 unwarrantable a manner. 



This was the only case of meddling 

 interruption I met with in Brittany — I 

 might almost say in France. Whenever 

 I have accidentally encroached upon any 

 land where the prohibitory announcement 

 of " chasse reservee" has met my eye, I 

 have invariably sought the owner of the 

 property or his garde de chasse. If this 

 functionary has perchance popped upon 

 me before my honest intentions have been 

 carried into execution, I have generally 

 found a trifling douceur smooth all diffi- 

 culties. 



Some five-and-twenty years ago, the 

 inhabitants, generally speaking, may not 

 have been quite so civil as in the present 

 day ; but they were at that period smart- 

 ing under recent defeat ; and they would, 

 when occasion off'ered, vent their spleen 

 on our countrymen ; but, even then, such 

 instances were rare. 



