FOX-HUNTING 159 



himself being well carried over the cream 

 of the country ; and yet, when he wakes, 

 he hurries downstairs and on to the law^n 

 with a stick, to poke about to see whether 

 it will be possible to hunt at all. 



If we could hook a salmon every time we 

 made a good cast ; if we could curl up the 

 rocketing pheasant every time we pressed 

 the trigger ; if we could kill our stag every 

 time we beaded him, there would be no 

 pleasure and no satisfaction in such pursuits. 

 No sport can give a greater variety of 

 incident than fox-hunting, or such wondrous 

 transformation scenes. Chance is the magic 

 attraction of such pursuits ; the element of 

 the unknown the soul of all adventure. 



All the surroundings of the chase minister 

 to man's passion for novelty, change, ex- 



