240 THE HUNTING FIELD 



some brandy poured down his throat, that he began to give 

 any symptoms of returning animation, when the first words he 

 uttered, as he stared wildly around, were, " Good beast as ever 

 luas for all that." In short nobod}' ever saw the Captain 

 without an excuse for a horse, whatever he did. 



There are some people in the world, not many certainly, 

 who have no idea of improving an opportunit}' — indeed upon 

 whom the temptations of fortune are perfectly wasted, but the 

 Captain is not one of these. We will give an instance of his 

 observing acuteness and anxiety to " do business," as they 

 say on 'Change. As he was getting on to his horse one 

 morning, he saw a woman coming up with a pig in a string by 

 the leg, after the approved fashion of pig-driving, and all sorts 

 of dealing being interesting, she was accosted by a passing 

 countryman as to what she had given for it. " Far o'er 

 much," replied the lady, desirous of having the inquirer's 

 estimate before she told. 



"You'd give six-and-twenty shillings, perhaps," rejoined 

 the man. 



" No, a guinea," replied the lady. 



Well, the Captain went to meet the hounds, and after 

 drawing Copgrove Hanging Wood and Ashbourne Gorse 

 blank, they turned in the direction of Harpsford, intending to 

 go to Drewsborough Great Wood. 



On the road coming down the Chequers Hill, what should 

 Captain Shabbyhounde espy but his friend with the pig in the 

 string, who, with that obstinate sort of stupidity called pig- 

 headedness, was quartering the road as if to make the most of 

 the journey. The Captain's keen eye saw " opportunity," and 

 tickling old Beelzebub in the flank, he coaxed him in between 

 young Tom Pappington and Miles Brown, who were enjoying 

 an angry discussion on the corn-laws. Both being rather beat 

 for arguments (indeed what they advanced were only the 

 crumbs they had picked up at their fathers' tables), they were 



