The Wild-Fowlers 37 



satisfy myself that Forester was right in 

 condemning the pursuit, whether he in- 

 dulged in it personally or not, and I '11 

 wager with you now that I shall not 

 change my views after I have been on the 

 ground. One need not become a burglar 

 himself in order to condemn thievery. I 

 don't remember whether Forester did any 

 battery shooting or not, but I do know 

 he strongly argued against it, and that 

 Roosevelt was an old bayman, and he cer- 

 tainly knew what he was talking about. 

 He, more than any one else, disfavors the 

 practice, and his reasons are sound. 

 Here 's his book. Listen to this para- 

 graph," and Seth reached for the volume, 

 which was quickly lifted from a floor- 

 shelf that contained a full two hundred 

 works on field sporting, angling, and nat- 

 ural history. Then, as the Doctor re- 

 lighted his cigar and stretched himself out 

 comfortably over three quarters of the 

 immense lounge he always selected when 

 in Seth's den, he read as follows : 



