138 THE HUNTING-FIELD. 



" You speak confidently/' said my friend ; " I 

 suppose your dogs are first-rate/' 



"So far from it/' said I, " I am rated by 

 every man in tlie country wlio owns a long dog 

 for keeping mine^ to each of wliicli a halter if they 

 are caught out is promised. The truth is, I only 

 course for two purposes; one is literally fun, when 

 I have nothing else to do ; the other is when I 

 "want a hare or two, which my dogs rarely fail 

 to pick up for me if once they get sight of one ; 

 I have three, or, in proper terms, a leash. The 

 fact is, one was given me because he ran cunning, 

 so he was of no use at the meetings, though first- 

 rate as to qualities of speed and stoutness ; the 

 second I bought, who soon learned the tricks of his 

 comrade; and the other I begged, to save him from 

 being hanged for the same fault : so in truth 

 they are direct hare murderers ; but not professing 

 to be a courser, I bear all their taunts, and no 

 hare escapes my long tails, one of whom, how- 

 ever, had lately very nearly become a short tail, 

 for following my horse to a friend's house, while 

 my back was turned, I caught the gentleman 

 with my dog's tail in one hand and a gardener's 

 knife in the other ; so in one moment more my 

 unfortunate dog would have boasted a stump had 

 I not come to the rescue." 



The next morning we sallied forth; a man 

 leading my proscribed dogs ; I on an old groggy 



