188 EXPERIENCES OF SPORT. 



lots of shooting and hunting, we determined to 

 winter in France, and go about, to see what could 

 be seen, and to do what was to be done, so we 

 sent to England for our guns and dogs, which 

 arrived in due time, and one fine morning took 

 our departure for Rennes. Here we soon made 

 more acquaintances, for we brought letters of 

 introduction with us to some very nice fellows, 

 who shortly invited us to a great boar hunt. 

 This and wolf hunting are considered the chasse 

 par excellence, and if you like plenty of noise, 

 horn blowing, shouts, and no end of smoking, you 

 are fitted to a T. 



The night before this event took place they 

 asked us to a grand dinner ; and I shall never 

 forget the chattering, and what we were told to 

 expect. Had we been inclined to believe all they 

 said, we should never have gone, for the danger 

 was terrible, and we could expect, inexpert as we 

 were, nothing short of having ourselves and 

 horses ripped up. After dinner, between whiffs 

 of tobacco and picking their teeth with their 

 fork (which latter amusement, by the way, they 

 seem particularly partial to), they told wonderful 

 stories of what they had done, and would do on 



