February Fill-dyke 



little curious how at such times the innocent 

 generally gets the blame, and how masters of 

 hounds, long-suffering as they may have been 

 and indeed generally are, will sometimes turn 

 on the man who is nearest and who has done 

 nothing wrong. So no one is much surprised 

 when, after having " let off the steam " and 

 threatened summary pains and penalties, our 

 Master turns round and says in a tone of mild 

 expostulation : " Mr Smithson, I am really sur- 

 prised at you ; you, at least, should know better." 

 It is in vain to point out that poor Mr 

 Smithson, who had got a decent start when 

 hounds ran over those three or four big grass 

 fields, was on the horns of a dilemma. He 

 must either get too near hounds or inevitably 

 be ridden down by his kind and over-eager 

 friends behind. Being a wise man in his 

 generation he takes the Master's unjust reproof 

 quietly, making no excuse or remark; and that 

 gentleman, conscious when his anger is cooling 

 a little, that he has been just a wee bit unfair, 

 asks him what else he can do but take hounds 

 home if men will be so unruly. 



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