LETTER XVir. 179 



Jim returned home in higli glee, with his fox's head, 

 much to the anno}^ance of Mr. Slowman, who was quite 

 crestfallen at our continued success. In the evening 

 my host reflected hitterly on the bad sport they had ex- 

 perienced with his hounds, which he said he had been 

 assured were the best pack in England, and for whicli 

 he had paid a large price, having only that season taken 

 to the whole establishment. " Your hounds," I said, 

 " are everything a man can wish for ; in appearance very 

 superior to my own, and equally good in other respects— 

 if not better; and to satisfy you that I mean what I say, 

 I will give you the same price for them which you have 

 given, if you like to resign the country at the end of the 

 season." " Well," he said, " I am sick to death of this 

 bad work, and the country too, and you shall have them." 

 " Agreed, then, if you are in earnest." " Quite so," he 

 replied. " Then," I said, " they are mine." " Will 

 you go out with us to-morrow ?" " By all means," was 

 my answer, "as I shall now feel an interest in the 

 hounds, and we will have a fox, if I am not mistaken ; 

 and Jim shall go also." 



Mr. Slowman, I should have remarked, had not killed 

 one fox for the last month. My host did not wish to 

 give offence to the old gentlemen of the country, by in- 

 terfering with their huntsman, who had lived there many 

 years with his predecessor, and was a great favourite 

 with them ; and therefore begged I would let him have 

 his own way. " Don't be uneasy on our account," I 

 replied. " Jim and myself will only be amateurs to- 

 morrow, and perhaps may take a lesson out of Mr. 

 Slowman's book ; but if we see the hounds likely to be 

 beaten again— (they are now, of course, out of heart 



N 2 



