234 THE SPORT OF KINGS 



I had an opportunity of reviewing the situation. 

 There were a formidable lot of us and no mistake, 

 and as each person seemed inclined at first to take 

 up some favourite position, the line extended for 

 more than half a mile, and I thought to myself 

 that if a fox broke on our side of the wood, his 

 chance of getting well away was a bad one, unless 

 he was a very bold fox indeed. Eventually, how- 

 ever, the carriages and dog-carts got grouped a 

 little, so that there were places where a fox could 

 cross the lane without being headed. I could not 

 help wondering as we stood in the lane watching 

 the field assembled at the corner of the big wood 

 hounds were drawing, why some people go out 

 hunting on wheels. It was pretty evident why 

 that party in the landau had come out, for they 

 were discussing a very substantial luncheon and 

 were exceedingly lively over it, their proceedings 

 reminding me not a little of a racecourse luncheon 

 when one has backed two or three winners at good 

 prices. Certainly they could not have come out 

 to hunt, and they soon moved off, apparently 

 satisfied with having seen the meet. But the 

 others one would naturally think had come out to 

 see sport, for they waited patiently. Yet what a 

 noise they made. There was a group of charming 

 young ladies, who had apparently walked some dis- 

 tance, and who were eagerly discussing " fashion- 

 able topics, such as pictures, taste, Shakespeare, 

 and the musical glasses." A farmer on foot was 

 loudly criticising the huntsman for omitting to try 

 a plantation about the size of a bar parlour on his 

 way to the big wood, and altogether there was in 

 the lane a perfect babel of sound, for some school 

 children joined in with occasional artistic, but 



