32 HOUND AND HORN 



mare, partly on his own business, and partly on that 

 of the Hunt. I had deputed him to see how the 

 work at the new kennels was progressing, to call 

 on prospective puppy walkers, to see some of the 

 farmers and learn when harvest was likely to be over, 

 and to carry out many such, to him, congenial errands. 

 His projected two nights away had been extended to 

 a week. He had had two days' grouse-shooting, two 

 days' trout-fishing, one lazy day (Sunday of course), 

 and two days at business, staying most of the time 

 with the Elliots, and he came home wearing one of 

 Jack Elliot's shirts and carrying one of Miss Flo's 

 pocket-handkerchiefs. He had deferred meeting some 

 of the hunting men till his last day (market day), 

 and had a heavy time, and on his return complained 

 of headache. 



*' Look here. Master," he said, '' if you want to 

 drink even with some of those old Johnnies over in 

 the Forest country, you'll have to begin to harden 

 a bit. I was boxed up yesterday with three or four 

 old topers ; one a coursing man, one a famous curler, 

 and one a gamekeeper, and all keen fox-hunters. 

 The last was hale and hearty, and took his liquor 

 straight, while the others were gulping and shirk- 

 ing and spilling it, while I was sitting tight scarcely 

 daring to move. Old Cherry-trees asked M'Alister 

 the keeper, seventy-five if a day, ' George, how have 

 ye kept yer health so well ? What kind of rule did 

 ye make about drink ? ' ^ Weel, Jims,' old M'Alister 

 returned, ^ I made this rule early in life, an' I follit 

 it a' thro' : I drank whusky and naething but whusky 

 every day up ti' sunset ; then ' (sinking his voice to 

 a whisper) * efter sunset — brandy.' 



> 7) 



