AFTEE DINNEE 267 



face is distorted with fuiy as of a Buddhist devil-dancer. Mr. 

 Havvkes shows it (the brake) as perpetrating the " Barnwell Murder." 

 It is a cyclist this time and he is cut completely in half The brake 

 and its passengers are but little perturbed, but a Whip from the box 

 seat is casting a spare pair of trousers down to the top half of the 

 cyclist as a lifebuoy is cast from the bridge of a steamer to a man 

 overboard. Though what use they could have been to the legless 

 half of the murdered man is hard to say. 



There is an anonymous sketch of the brake at night, which would 

 seem to anticipate either the Post-Impressionists or the Futurists, 

 more probably the former, as the sketch is Impressionist, and it was 

 drawn after ^ dinner. 



There are various sketches of beaglers out wild-fowling, and one 

 of a day at Orwell Brewery, when the T.F.B. seems to have killed 

 three brace of partridges, presumably Frenchmen. At the top of the 

 page is the pack (1^ couple) going off to the right, to the left a 

 silhouette of a partridge — at least it would have been a partridge, 

 Mr. Hawkes says, had not somebody blotted it. Below are six hooks, 

 from five of which hang partridges — at least circumstantial evidence 

 shows that they must be partridges, though they look more like 

 bustards. This is signed " H. S. G." Another page shows the Master 

 turned " Commodore," and taking the artist, again " H. S. G.," duck- 

 shooting in the Wash off Hunstanton. 



So much for our comedy. But there is more than comedy in 

 a beagler's life, as in every body of genuine sportsmen who live 

 together in close intimacy, and, as the following letter in reply to 

 a request for a contribution from a l)eagler who says that beagling 

 meant much to him shows, that more is not for publication. 



Letter 



Dear Mr. Kempson — I hope you will forgive my not coming 

 out to see you, but, what with skating and beagling, I had my 

 afternoons very much occupied. As regards an article for the 

 Beagle Book, believe me, I was flattered by your request, but I 

 hardly see my way to doing it. It could only be about Eeaveley. 



^ Post is Latin for after ! 



