12 THE HUNTING FIELD 



by the "sleeping partner" asking some absurd 

 questions about hunting. 



Cottonwool does this from the same mistaken 

 notion that would have induced him to ask none 

 but foxhunters to meet a Master of Foxhounds, viz. 

 an idea that foxhunters can only talk about foxhunting. 

 Mistaken man ! Nine-tenths of them would rather 

 talk about anything else. Annoying, however, as it 

 is to hear a man talking nonsense for our accommoda- 

 tion, calling a pack of hounds a set of dogs, a hound's 

 stern a bushy tail, giving tongue, barking, and so on, 

 a Master must not break out and bid him "hold his 

 tongue for a d — d fool," as a sailor would. No, he 

 must humour him — " sugar his milk," as a huntsman 

 would say ; for the best hounds in the world, with 

 the " best fellow under the sun " at the head of them, 

 are useless without foxes, and fox or no fox is the 

 caprice of such creatures as Cottonwool. Some 

 Cottonwools are apt to "keep the word of promise to 

 the ear and break it to the hope," giving their keepers 

 orders perhaps not to shoot foxes, but at the same 

 time not to let a vixen lie up on the estate. There 

 are many ways of preserving foxes — at all events of 

 salving a not troublesomely fastidious conscience. 

 If our " best fellow under the sun " suspects anything 

 like foul play, he will lead old Wool unto the ice, 

 get him to talk big about hunting, the pleasures of 

 the morning, the delights of a find, the certainty 

 of sport, the abundance of foxes — our Master slyly 

 exclaiming to old Pigskin or any one furthest off, so 

 that every one must hear, " Ah, Mr. Pigskin, I wish 

 all people were like our w^orthy host Mr. Cottonwool ! 

 There would be no lack of foxes — no fear of sport 

 then." He may then observe, almost to "Wool" 

 himself, " I'm sure all here will bear me out in saying 

 that I always hold our excellent friend Mr. Cottonwool 

 up as a perfect specimen of what an English gentleman 

 ought to be." Now% that is good, wholesome, un- 



