274 THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



Frank Raby. " Just describe this strap." 



Sir John. " 7 can do that for you, as I am never without 

 one of them in the pocket of my great-coat. It need not 

 be more than six inches long, but must have a strong 

 buckle at each end. Anything, then, in the shape of a 

 strap being broken, can be instantly made serviceable by 

 punching two holes, if none are already within reach, to 

 receive the tongues of the buckles." 



Somerby. " But, Eaby, where are the hunters ? " 



Frank Raby. " They are at Amstead, in paddocks, 

 which I had made for them last year ; but against next 

 spring I hope to have the means of summering them here, 

 under my own eye." 



Ifargrave. " My horses are treated after your plan this 

 summer, and I expect the greatest benefit from it, next 

 season." 



Frank Raby. " Depend upon it you will not be disap- 

 pointed. I had a remarkable proof of the superiority of 

 condition attained by it, in the course of a run in the last 

 season. We came to a check at the end of a sharp burst, 

 when some one observed ' "What a steam there was from 

 the horses ! ' ' There is no steam from mine,' said I ; 

 neither was there ; in fact he was beginning to get dry on 

 his neck." 



Hargrave. "It must be a great advantage to a hunter 

 not to sweat much or, at all events, to become soon cool ; 

 as exhaustion must be proportionally diminished." 



At six o'clock precisely there were no eight o'clock 

 dinners at this period, in the summer months, in the 

 country our party sat down to just such a dinner as we 

 may imagine our young sportsman to have given them 

 not of the first quality, for the chef de cuisine was wanting, 

 but such as no English gentleman could find fault with. 

 Neither were the wines in the highest order for drinking, 

 although all were excellent of their sort, time not having 

 been allowed for their recovering themselves, after their 

 transport from London and Dublin the claret having 

 been imported from the latter city. Everything, however, 

 in the shape of liquids, that could be improved by it, was 

 iced, even to the home-brewed small beer no very con- 

 temptible beverage to travellers who had been exposed to 

 a midsummer sun. 



It was the fashion in those days to drink toasts in all 

 private parties, among sportsmen especially ; and the third 



