The Hunting Year 



us." And you will be treated as a friend and 

 an intimate by the men to whom you owe your 

 sport, and it is worth all the trouble and more 

 to gain that end. 



There is another thing you must not do — if 

 Mr Wheatley offers you a drink, you must not 

 tell him it is too early. Remember that he was 

 about amongst his sheep and lambs hours before 

 you left your bed, and that by half-past eleven he 

 can do very well with some refreshment. And 

 so it is the graceful thing to accept the offered 

 hospitality. And when one comes to think of it, 

 perhaps you are as much in need of the refresh- 

 ment as the worthy farmer himself, for there are 

 more unlikely things than that you were playing 

 bridge till the small hours, and than bridge 

 there is no greater provocative of thirst. 



Fashion in March hunting has changed since 



my early hunting years. Then when February 



went out the hour was made 9.30 instead of 



10.30; and later in the month hounds met at 



8.30 and at 8 a.m., and I have on occasion 



known them meet as early as 6.30 a.m., or even 



as 6 a.m. Now as soon as March comes in, the 



146 



