274 CHASING AND RACING 



attacks. It has its side issues, its by-products, and its 

 complications too. Par exemple^ we will say I have 

 finally decided on angling, dog-breeding (including 

 training, exhibiting, and judging), and musical com- 

 position. I should, as regards the first, want to cast my 

 lines in all directions ; salmon for choice, then in their 

 declining order, trout, grayling, and all the so-called 

 " coarse " fish, from the voracious pike to the humble 

 gudgeon. But hold ! What about sea-fish ? Oh 

 yes, I should yearn to hie me to Florida to fight tarpon, 

 or to Santa Catalina in pursuit of tuna, king fish, yellow 

 tails, albacore, sharks, and what not. In our home 

 waters I should want to be after tope, skate, congers, 

 hake, ling, turbot, plaice, pollack, sea-bream, mackerel, 

 whiting, cod, mullet, bass, etc., even including such 

 unconsidered trifles as dabs and pouting. 



Then regarding the bow-wows, I should make a 

 bargain with Fate that I was not to be limited to the 

 sporting division alone, or to one breed of sporting 

 dog ; I should want to practise my knowledge of 

 canine eugenics on retrievers, spaniels, pointers, and 

 setters ; on bull-dogs, bull-terriers, and fox-terriers ; 

 on greyhounds and whippets, just for a start ! 



Then when it pleased me to exert my talent (alleged) 

 for melody, I should soar to the heights of Parnassus, 

 in an estacy of classical afflatus. But next day 

 syncopated rag-time would occupy the aural stops in 

 my brain. Anon I would wander off into lilting valse 

 refrains and then burst into martial marches, with 



