LETTER VI. 61 



how long he wished me to take in drawing this particu- 

 lar wood, as I would keep the hounds there as long as he 

 pleased, having intended them to be at his own disposal 

 the whole day. *' Not longer than necessary," he replied. 

 As soon as the hounds were thrown in, the wood seemed 

 almost alive with game ; I never saw before or since such 

 a quantity in so small a space — the hares rushed about 

 like mad in all directions, running against each other and 

 the hounds, and one or two screamed out. " Halloo," 

 said the under-keeper, who was with me, " they have 

 killed one or two hares, I'm sure." " No," I said, " they 

 have not, it is only your bellows-headed brutes trying to 

 knock my hounds off their legs, and then crying out be- 

 cause they are hurt." After searching in every direction, 

 no dead hare, however, could be found, and when I had 

 let the hounds run over the whole covert, every corner 

 of it, I called them togetlier, and brought them all out, 

 for their faces to be inspected, that any marks of blood 

 might be seen if they had offended. The old gentle- 

 man appeared satisfied, and the keepers looked blank, 

 " Well," he said, '* you have won the day." " No, Sir," 

 I replied, "I have only won half-an-hour yet — the day 

 is yours, and your keepers may catch us tripping before 

 it is dark yet." '^ No," he said, " that shall not be, I 

 like both your conduct and your hounds too. Take your 

 hounds home now, and, if you have nothing better to do, 

 and can dispense with bachelor's fare, come and dine 

 with me this evening." I did so, and from that time an 

 intimacy subsisted between us until the day of his death, 

 which was deplored by all his acquaintances, rich and 

 poor, since, notwithstanding his partiality for game, he 

 was as kind and good-hearted a man as ever lived. 



