A Cold Bath. 181 



''Why, old man," said I, ''where on earth 

 have you been ? " 



"Ah, George! Ah, George!" said he, 

 " I've been into a bog. And I've been there 

 snipe-shooting all my life, and yet this morning 

 I was fool enough to ride straight into it. 

 Ah, George ! Ah, George ! There's no fool like 

 an old fool." 



But that was the sort of thing he often 

 did — more from headstrong foolhardiness 

 than anything. I hope it will not be 

 thought that I say that in disparagement 

 of my old friend, because no man thought 

 more of him than I did. On another 

 occasion, fox-hunting, we had run to Castle 

 Mills. The hounds had done nothing that 

 day, and they lost the fox. There was no 

 intention of going over the river, and the 

 Field stood on the river bank. The miller 

 was leaning out of one of the windows of 

 his mill watching us. 



" Miller, can I get over here ? " called out 

 my old friend. 



