CHAPTER XVII 



LORD EVERGREEN : WITH SOME THOUGHTS ON TUFT 

 HUNTING 



'There is more virtue in a saddle than in the whole materia inedica." 



Thistle Whipper. 



HO comes here? Who is 

 the venerable, thoughtful- 

 looking man riding quietly 

 into the field with the rein 

 on the neck of his well- 

 bred bay hack ? He greets 

 Peter Pigskin with a familiar 

 "Halloa, Mr. Pigskin, how 

 are you ? glud to see yon.' ' 



Peter quickly raises his 

 hat as high as the hunting 



string will allow, with a " Good morning, my lord, glad to see 



you down among us again."' 



"Can't be more pleased than I am, Mr. Pigskin, I assure 



you," rejoins his lordship, his intelligent eyes sparkling with 



pleasure as he surveys the glad scene — • 



" Where all around is gay, men, horses, dogs ; 

 .■\nd in each smiling countenance appears 

 Fresh blooming health and universal joy." 



By the way, our friend Somerville is not quite correct in his 



