The Sport of Our ^Ancestors 



him/ said the Senator ; — ' though it 's hke knife-grinding or 

 handhng arsenic — an unwholesome sort of profession.' 



* I think they look very nice/ said Morton, as one or two 

 well-turned-out young men rode up to the place. 



* They seem to me to have thought more about their 

 breeches than anything else/ said the Senator. * But if 

 they 're going to hunt, why don't they hunt ? Have they 

 got a fox with them ? ' Then there was a further ex- 

 planation. 



At this moment there was a murmur as of a great coming 

 arrival, and then an open carriage with four post-horses was 

 brought at a quick trot into the open space. There were 

 four men dressed for hunting inside, and two others on the 

 box. They were all smoking, and all talking. It was easy 

 to see that they did not consider themselves the least among 

 those who were gathered together on this occasion. The 

 carriage was immediately surrounded by grooms and horses, 

 and the ceremony of disencumbering themselves of great- 

 coats and aprons, of putting on spurs and fastening hat- 

 strings was commenced. Then there were whispered com- 

 munications from the grooms, and long faces under some of 

 the hats. This horse hadn't been fit since last Monday's 

 run, and that man's hack wasn't as it should be. A mut- 

 tered curse might have been heard from one gentleman as 

 he was told, on jumping from the box, that Harry Stubbings 

 hadn't sent him any second horse to ride. * I didn't hear 

 nothing about it till yesterday, Captain,' said Harry Stub- 

 bings, * and every foot I had fit to come out was bespoke.' 



254 



