88 THE HUNTING GROUNDS 



" You must give us a history of the gang after 



dinner, Harry," said W , "for we have not 



time now, as the first bugle has sounded some 

 time." 



" Yees," put in the doctor, who just joined us, 

 " and ye had all better be quick, too, as my stomach 

 has been crying cupboard this long time, an' this 

 child will no be answerable for his actions 'gin ye 

 come not soon after the viands are placed on the 

 table. Ugh ! ugh ! ugh ! " 



So we all rose and returned to our tents, and 

 after a refreshing bath again met at the table. 

 We were in good appetite for our dinner after the 

 day's fag, and " Five Minutes," whose ordinary 

 colour was a bright black, assumed quite a greenish 

 tinge, as he blushed at the praise his cuisine called 

 forth. 



The old doctor was in great spirits, and became 

 actually uproarious when Mac, alluding to his feat 

 with the bear, proposed his health as a sportsman 

 who that day had made his debut, and he actually 

 crowed and purred again when I advised him now to 

 adopt a bear for his crest, with the motto, " Ursus 

 Vinci." 



" Now, Harry," said W , when dinner was 



over and cheroots and brandy panee (water) cir- 

 culated, "you must give us the history of the 

 gang." 



" Yes, yes ! " vociferated the rest, " let us have 

 it. 



