THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



possessed of a couple of terriers, of a good game breed, sore 

 enemies not only to the rats about the buildings, but to all the 

 cats of the house, which were hunted by them about once a 

 week. On one occasion, however, Master Francis had almost 

 driven the jest too far ; for, having chased one of them into 

 the kitchen, with his terriers close at her tail, she leapt on the 

 table and upset a tureen of turtle soup, that was on the point of 

 being served up to a dinner-party. Frank, however — for such 

 he was always called, as most Francises are — got well out of 

 the scrape by his great popularity among the servants, who 

 either took the mishap upon themselves, or laid it to that 

 scapegoat in all families — the cat. Frank and his terriers, 

 however, were much dreaded in the neighbourhood by all wdio 

 had favourite tabbies, as a gripe from either Pincher or Vixen 

 was very apt to prove fatal. But, did Mr. Raby know of this 

 cat-killing propensity ? and, if so, did he encourage it ? The 

 general character of that gentleman leads to the conclusion 

 that he would not have encouraged, in his children, cruelty to 

 animals, a vice the very reverse of the characteristic of the 

 thorough English sportsman. Nevertheless he w^as well aware 

 of this truism — that to restrain the pleasures and pursuits of 

 youth with too tight a hand, is as preposterous as to be angry 

 with the spring of the year because it produces nothing but 

 blossoms, or to expect from that early season the fruits of 

 autumn in their perfection ; and it must be admitted that, 

 when he saw his favourite son, Frank — for most fathers have 

 favourites — with a couple of terriers at his heels, and his ferret 

 bag in his hand, he was delighted beyond measure. ' That 

 boy,' he would say, ' will be a sportsman, and one day or 

 another will see him at the top of the tree, if he lives.' And he 

 had a right so to predict of him. No matter whether pleasure 

 or business be the object, whoever pursues either to any purpose, 

 must do so con artiore, which was truly Frank's case. No 

 sooner did his tutor dismiss him, than he was at war with one 

 description of vermin or another ; and he was wonderfully 

 expert in his calling. 



As similarity of taste inspirc^s regard, Fraidv, as he progressed 

 in years, formed a strong alliance with one of the head keeper's 

 sons, who, as his father had initiated him into the entrapping 

 art, was of no small service in his pursuits ; and such was 

 their success in ferreting rabbits, that they furnished the supply 



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