222 THE BEST OF THE FUN 



hunting to the test. Yet, in spite of rain and hail and 

 snow — as pleaded by Will's (Shakespeare, if you please, 

 not by no means our Whitecoliar Will's) dissuasive spouse, 

 in the best of his hunting songs — the Pytchley meet at 

 North Kilworth came off in fair strength, and, what 

 seemed wondrous on such a morning, was even well 

 illuminated with scarlet and lightened with white. It 

 was indeed a day, I would plead, on which all duty as to 

 uniform — save and except, of course, on the part of those 

 excellent and waterproof men, the hunt servants — might 

 well be remitted. Given such remission, one starts fair. 

 Equipped in apron, covert coat, and billycock, one may 

 face the bleakest weather as fearlessly as a batsman pro- 

 tected by two pads of cork and two gloves of indiarubber 

 can stand up against bowling that, without these assistants, 

 would sweep him from the field. The difficulty is to know 

 at dressing-time what one may expect during the day. 

 You should be guided, I have long been told, by the 

 verdict of the weather-glass, the weathercock, and the 

 thermometer. If the day's forecast is available in time, 

 so much the better. This is admirable in theory, difficult 

 in practice. You need thus a complete Home Observa- 

 tory. Besides, you are not always at home. Of the 

 fallibility of even home arrangements, take my own 

 instance this morning. Secure of the other above-named 

 indicators, I found myself short of an out-door ther- 

 mometer. So yesterday I sent for one, and hung it to 

 a northern aspect, with orders that I was to be informed 

 at shaving-time as to its reading. " Well," I asked, as I 

 hesitated between warm weather cords and heavy leathers, 

 " what does the new glass say ? Hot or cold ? " " Can't 

 quite read it," said my conscientious domestic, " but here 

 it is ; I brought it in the first thing this morning, and it's 

 been in the kitchen ever since." 



A few scattered snowflakes gave me all further answer 

 I wanted, and I kept my knees dry, my body warm, and 

 head unhampered through a rough yet very sporting day. 

 But I felt sore and selfish when I saw scores of more 

 worthy men, who had obviously bought themselves no 

 thermometer, and who could afford a chill wetting no 



