238 THE HUNTING FIELD 



going, else his plain coat will have a very denuded, stripped-of- 

 its-lace appearance by the side of the glittering uniforms of his 

 competitors. Hunt coats are best at hunt balls. 



Shabbyhounde's coat has not come to the cover before it 

 was due. It has long lost all the freshness of newness, while 

 sundry stains on the back and left shoulder give indications of 

 lamp droppings, or wax swealings, obtained in the fantastic toe 

 service. Still it is not a badly cut coat, though the collar 

 rather puts the back to the blush, having only superseded a 

 black velvet one with a gold embroidered fox on each side, it 

 shows rather too new for the rest. Of course Shabbyhounde 

 sports an anonymous button, one we should think made 

 entirely out of his own head ; but he does not trust the keeping 

 together of his coat to these usual articles, for he has it secured 

 b\' a diminutive steel bit, which, with a curb chain to his 

 watch, add very materially, he considers, to his sporting 

 appearance. No flash man was ever seen without pins or 

 brooches, sometimes both, and Shabbyhounde has a large gold 

 pin representing two race horses contending for a prize, in the 

 full stride of extended limb. His cravat is a rich purple and 

 black-flowered satin one, and his waistcoat a worked one, blue 

 ground, with yellow roses. We need hardly add that he rides 

 with a large .cutting whip. He is a little man, though hunting 

 dress has the singular effect of making some little men look 

 taller and some tall men shorter than they are. Of course the 

 Captain keeps his moustachios, this being part of his stock 

 in trade, but he is not prodigal in whisker, neither does he 

 indulge in flowing hair, at least not in winter. 



We will now glance at him in action. He is always in 

 a desperate stew about a start. His whole thoughts and 

 conversation turn upon this point. He never cares to see the 

 fox go away. He never looks to see whether the body of the 

 hounds are out of cover, but as soon as a hound speaks, he 

 begins to settle himself in his saddle, gets his horse firmly by 



