PETER PIGSKIN 165 



and Mrs. Hogslard's company to dinner," and so on, 

 but if a brother foxhunter wants a billet the night 

 before hunting, he is sure to find a welcome at Peter's 

 house. So in the field; if a man is left far from 

 home, or tires his horse, Peter has always a stall and 

 steak pudding at his service. Peter gives him the 

 best he has, and makes no apologies for what he does 

 not offer. Then, when they have satisfied hunger, 

 and drawn their easy chairs to the fire, with the little 

 old oak table to put the bright port or black bottle 

 with its necessary accompaniments upon, Peter will 

 go over every inch of the run again, dilating with 

 rapture on the performance of the hounds, and dwell- 

 ing with enthusiasm on the exploits of his favourites. 

 We are afraid to mention how many best runs in his 

 life Peter has seen ; their name is Legion. 



But we are keeping the old gentleman too long on 

 our easel. We have sketched him from boyhood, 

 and must now finish him off as he is. There is some- 

 thing about a sportsman that invariably proclaims 

 itself, whether he be clad in scarlet and leathers of 

 high life, or the unassuming drabs and bottle-green 

 of middle station. Peter's eye retains its fire, not- 

 withstanding the lapse of seventy winters — we will 

 say summers — seventy summers, for they have passed 

 lightly over him. 



The only piece of spruceness about Peter is his 

 neckcloth and shirt ; the former is of French cambric, 

 and he has a large pleated frill to the latter. Looking 

 at him one is strongly reminded of the old adage, 

 "clean shirt, clean shave, and a guinea in one's 

 pocket." His drab breeches are made of uncommonly 

 stout double-milled cloth, and his old mahogany tops 

 are scratched and roughed till they look as if they 

 had been rasped by the cook or the blacksmith. 



Peter's horse is like himself, a wiry-looking piece 

 of whalebone. There is not a better shaped or a 

 better conditioned one in the field than the old 



