The Hunt Dinner 34^ 



" ' The Lord only knows,' was the melancholy answer. 



" * Are n't you going to look for your horse?' I asked 

 next, but still with no answer. 



" Ignoring the apparent absence of my patient's mind, I 

 hastened to inquire if he had had an enjoyable day's sport. 

 * You certainly bear evidence,' said I, * of having had a 

 glorious day.' 



" * I never met such a beastly lot of blackguards in all 

 my life.' 



" ' Come, get into my waggon and tell me all about it,' I 

 said soothingly. 



" * Well, to begin with,' said my friend, ' the Master 

 swore at me awfully. I was n't doing anything, either. 

 He rode up to me and said, " Why don't you hold hard 

 when I ask you ? " "Well, now, really," said I, *' were you 

 talking to me ? My name is Bankclerk." And he 

 wheeled his horse about and rode away saying he had no 

 time to make me a set of brains. I thought when I heard 

 him yelling " Hold hard, there, Greyhorse," what a funny 

 name that was for a man. It seemed to make every one 

 laugh that heard it. The next ruffian to ride up to me 

 with another bucket of abuse was the huntsman. **What 



in are you hollering at ? " said he. " At the fox," 



said I ; **just saw him run back in the woods, there. I 

 thought you would be glad to know of it, and I hollered." 

 With that he ripped out a torrent of abuse. " What are 

 you doing here, anyway } " he asked. 



" ' " My name is Bankclerk," said I. " Dr. N 



advised me to go hunting for my health." '' He should 

 have given you rough-on-rats," said the huntsman. " Bank- 



