}74 COLONEL HANGER TO 



place whence he came, after having sported 

 on a manor, on which he has leave from 

 the landholder to sport, 'and on the king's 

 public highway he is travelling, on each 

 side of which runs a plantation, bounded 

 but by a very slight hedge, and frequently 

 not by any hedge at all. A hare, disturbed, 

 perchance, crosses the road ; a valuable 

 dog runs into the plantation, after the 

 hare, and, in less than half an hour, lies 

 down and dies, poisoned, at his master's feet. 

 I ask, in honor, can any law sanction so 

 base an outrage, committed on an unoffen- 

 ding man, who is not sporting, nor has 

 even attempted to hunt a dog the whole 

 daj^ on that man's land ; but is travelling 

 home, on the king's high pubhc road? 

 Remember this shall happen in open day- 

 light, I trust in my God I never shall fmd 

 myself in so disagreeable a predicament, — 

 but, should I unfortunately be so situated, / 

 solemnly declare^ I would resent it in the 

 same manner as I w^ould a personal injury 

 done to me, or the gross insult of a man 

 spitting in my face. There is some reason 

 to be given for laying poison by night in 



