150 The Hunting Field With Horse and Hound 



to get off and the platform happens to be next to the door on 

 the opposite side of the car. He gets up, collects his numerous 

 bundles and grips (most travelling in England is done with 

 hand luggage), and with his hands and arms full he starts for 

 the door. Everyone turns his or her feet sideways to enable 

 him to pass; he bumps everyone's knees, knocks their shins 

 and can hardly manage without losing his balance, and comes 

 dangerously near falling into the lap of a passenger first on 

 one side and then on the other. The passengers now come to 

 the rescue and take his baggage while he goes edging and 

 squeezing his way along to the discomfort of everyone in the 

 compartment. Finally he reaches the door, and in order to 

 get out someone must relieve him of the rest of his baggage, for 

 to unfasten the door he must let down the window, stick his 

 head and half of his body out of the car, reach down on the 

 outside and unfasten the door. Then he steps out, and the 

 passengers, who have been holding his luggage meanwhile, 

 pass it along to him or to a porter, and away goes the passenger 

 leaving the car-door and window wide open. Now someone 

 must get up and close this door and raise the window by aid 

 of a dangling strap, or leave it open until the train starts. I 

 have never seen a passenger leaving a car in England close the 

 door behind him. 



Just before the train starts the door opens and a big red- 

 faced Englishman looks in. Only one seat vacant. He leaves 

 the door open and looks into other compartments to find one 

 with more room. Finally he comes back and walks in, puffing 

 and blowing, wades between two rows of knees and sits down in 

 the seat vacated by the passenger that got off. He had a drink 

 of Scotch before he started from home, walked to the station, 

 had another Scotch with a friend while waiting for the train. Of 

 course he left the door open when he came in and the passen- 

 gers take his luggage until he can get into his place and relieve 

 them of it. Now he sits down. The guard slams the door 



