A STRAIGHT-NECKED CUB 



IR, it's just five o'clock," 

 said my host's white - 

 headed old butler-valet, 

 as he drew back the 

 window curtains, and 

 allowed the first bright 

 spears of the morning 

 sun to creep into my 

 bed-room. 



" All right, Richards ; 

 I will be down to break- 

 fast within ten minutes," 

 sleepily replied the writer, who is a bad hand at turn- 

 ing out of bed at ungodly hours of the morning, even 

 though it be to bustle the cubs on the uplands, or to 

 enjoy five-and-twenty minutes' flight shooting on the 

 marshes and saltings, a distant view of which dyke 

 and fleet intersected levels was to be seen from the 

 rose-wreathed windows of my room. 



The head of the shot-riddled but ever running fox on 

 the stable roof pointed towards the east, and the water 

 in my tub had a decided autumnal chill with it. The 

 thin " cords " I intended wearing were therefore thrown 

 aside for nether garments of stouter material ; and, having 

 made a somewhat hasty toilet, I went down to the 



266 



