HORSES AND HOUNDS. 1G5 



sir ? Why, you wont never believe it ; there, a great big fox, 

 a jumping over the pig-stye hatch, witli a pig of ten score on his 

 back— there now !' " Shouts of laughter followed the squire s 

 story. "Well, gentlemen," he said, "I have not done yet. John 

 Grubber's story about the pig is quite as true as my lord's 

 keeper's about the fawns." 



" Now, gentlemen," exclaimed a jovial farmer, " as the squire 

 has broached the subject, I think I can throw a little more light 

 upon it — this story of fawn-killing, I mean. I happen to live 

 just outside my lord's park, and rent some land and a small 

 brake as well, where a litter of foxes is very often bred ; and 

 there was one there this last season, when all this work was 

 made about them. Meeting with old John, the earth-stopper, 

 we went down together to the earths. In searching about, we 

 found some fish-bones, which puzzled old John exceedingly, but 

 I had little doubt they belonged to a turbot, and said so. ' Dang 

 it,' says John, ' why, measter, they ban't turned fishermen as 

 well, be they ? them sorts of fish don't swim in fresh water, I 

 guess, either.' ' No,' I said, ' they come from the sea.' ' Well, 

 then,' replied John, ' 'tis a tolerable trip from this to South- 

 ampton Water, and farther than I would go for the best dish of 

 fisli that ever came out of sea or river.' ' Very likely, John, but 

 you don't know that a turbot is considered a first-rate fish, and 

 seldom seen but at great tables. Many of them are worth a 

 guinea a piece.' ' Ah, indeed,' says John, ' that alters the case ; 

 but how on earth could the ould vixen come at it f My answer 

 to John and to you is, the old vixen became possessed of the 

 fawn's foot, as well as the fish bones, by picking them up, one in 

 the park, and the other on the ash-heap, behind the big house. 

 I dare say you have heard, gentlemen, of the story of the 

 medical student and symptoms. A learned doctor took his 

 pupil with him to visit a patient, whom he accused of eating 

 oysters, and severely reprimanded him for it. Upon their 

 return, the pupil asked the doctor how he could tell his patient 

 had been eating oysters. ' Simply enough,' replied the doctor, 

 ' from the symptoms — I saw the shells under the bed.' This 

 hint was improved upon considerably by the student, and had 

 nearly cost him a broken neck, as you will hear. The doctor 

 being otherwise engaged, sent his pupil a day or two afterwards, 

 to visit the same patient, who was a farmer, well to do in the 

 world, and none of the mildest of tempers. Our young 

 practitioner (remembering all about the symptoms) looked 

 about ; and under the bed, seeing a bridle and saddle, accused 

 the sick man of eating a horse ! ' What, sir,' exclaimed the sick 

 man, starting up in his bed, ' eat a horse !' ' Yes, sir, I repeat 



