OF THE HARBOURER. 49 



us, Mr. So-and-So?" "Lord bless you, sir, got 

 plenty ; the place be full wi' 'em ; lor, there, I 

 mustn't tell you wher' they be to, but they been 

 making work with my oats cruel, that they have." 

 " Hounds, please, gentlemen." The man in grey leads 

 off with the jovial farmer, huntsman and hounds 

 follow, and the field after them. We jog on to a 

 farm, the huntsman and whip dismount and shut 

 up the hounds in a stable. Then the huntsman 

 opens the door cautiously, and, stopping the rush 

 with a word of warning, calls out by name four 

 couples. How different are their different ways. 

 Some trot out soberly and stand waiting for the fun 

 to begin, some dash out wildly and rush about 

 excitedly, while others with nose in air proclaim their 

 joy. Huntsman and whip remount their ponies, and 

 the quiet man in grey takes the command, for he is 

 at this moment the most important member of the 

 hunt — the harbourer. Upon him depends our chance 

 of a day's sport, and he is now about to complete his 

 day's work. 



We who have arrived at the meet have really only 

 come in for the second act of the drama ; the first 

 act — a purely one-man part — has been long since 

 played by the harbourer. 



He has harboured the stag, and when he has 

 enabled the huntsman to rouse him and get him to 

 break covert, his day's work is over ; his fee is 

 earned — and well-earned, too. 



Let us in imagination go back and begin the drama 



E 



