146 MY SPORTING HOLIDAYS 



portion to the size and beauty of the beast and the 

 difficulties and exertion entailed in its pursuit. It 

 possesses at times all sorts and conditions of men. 

 I have stalked and hunted with Scotch gillies, with 

 Norwegian natives, with western trappers, and even 

 with Bed Indian chiefs, and I have noticed that the 

 manifestation of this desire, allowing for individual 

 and racial differences of temperament and training, 

 is always the same. The western trapper is usually 

 profane, and the Red Indian taciturn. But the lust 

 to kill is shared by all, accompanied by more or less 

 suppressed excitement, and an absolute indifference 

 to all physical toil and exertion involved. I have 

 known a middle-aged and respectable London magis- 

 trate crawl for 100 yards or more at full length 

 through wet moss hags and peaty bog, drenched 

 with perspiration and shaking with excitement, in 

 order to obtain a shot at a 'stag of ten.' I have 

 known an Oxford graduate lie for hours on a Nor- 

 wegian snow-fjeld waiting for a chance at a reindeer 

 buck. 



Failure or success in either case meant bitter 

 disappointment or lasting joy, and it was a question 

 of taking the life of some beautiful creature. The 

 mere desire to obtain venison or a good head does 

 not satisfactorily account for these phenomena. We 

 are driven to the conclusion that civilization cannot 

 efface man's predatory instincts, and that the pursuit 

 and slaughter of wild game is a perfectly natural, 

 healthy, and widespread trait of humanity, even 

 necessary, in some cases, for health and happiness, 

 and probably intended as an antidote to the purple 

 and fine linen, and the sumptuous fare, of refined 

 civilization. 



