CHAPTER XXXVI 



A BLANK DAY 



A story is told of a veteran sportsman who was 

 asked upon one occasion as to what he thought 

 were the three most enjoyable things in the world. 

 As to what was the best he had no doubt, it was a 

 good day with hounds. He hesitated a little 

 before replying to the query as to what was the 

 next best thing, but it was only for a short time, 

 and then he replied, "A bad day with hounds." 

 What was the third best thing was a bit of a poser 

 after that, but after a long and careful consideration 

 he shouted out to his tormentor in answer to the 

 question, " it, sir, a blank day with hounds." 



Now, though a blank day is a miserable affair 

 indeed, and one which causes the sportsman many 

 regrets and at times heart-burnings, there is some- 

 thing in what the old veteran said, after all, for a 

 blank day is never un fait accompli until hounds 

 are on the road to the kennel, and even then I 

 have known the blank day saved by a fox jumping 

 out of a patch of gorse on the roadside and giving 

 us a good run. 



Let me give the history of a blank day. You 

 meet a well - known pack of hounds, no matter 

 which and no matter where, you have a good horse 

 under you, the day is all that can be desired, and 

 hope beats high. The first draw is a gorse covert, 



