'' Highivay Bobbery" 161 



There is a sadness one cannot avoid con- 

 nected with all such valedictory occasions, 

 and lest I should be tempted to dwell unduly 

 on that theme, I will give you here, by way of 

 contrast, a funny little incident that occurred 

 to me one day, showing, as I have said before, 

 that on one or two rare occasions I met with 

 remonstrance from the occupiers of land in 

 the country over which I hunted. 



I was coming home one day when old Mr. 



N met me on the Biggleswade Common. 



'* Hi ! hi ! Muster Race," he shouted. " Look, 

 you here ! I won't have you come galloping 

 over my land any more. You think you're 

 everybody, but I'll show you that you're not, 

 and that you ain't got all the money in the 

 world. I'll show up purses with you any day ; 

 yes, that I will." 



I could see that he had worked himself up 

 into a tearing rage, and he had lugged out a 

 long canvas purse, which he was holding aloft 

 and shaking at me in defiance as he rode up. 

 I tried to soothe him, but that was quite 

 impossible. 



