The Hunting Year 



man's book, and it is highly creditable to both 

 parties that rarely is there a discrepancy 

 between the two accounts. Occasionally per- 

 haps some such colloquy as this may occur. 

 The huntsman will say : " There was that fox 

 found in Shufflers' Bottom, who shall I put that 

 down to — you or to Jim Jones?" And the 

 keeper will reply: "Well, it was a near thing, 

 but I think it was Jim's," and Jim may perhaps 

 think it should be divided if he were asked 

 the question. Generally, however, these little 

 matters are amicably arranged amongst the 

 keepers themselves, and there is nothing to 

 do in the little private room but to compare 

 accounts and settle. 



The long morning's work entailed by reports 

 and settling accounts is over at last, and then 

 the company sit down to a solid old-fashioned 

 English midday dinner. No fashionable 

 modern hotel is ever patronised for the keepers' 

 dinner, even supposing there should be one in 

 the market town in which it is held. It is held 

 at some quiet, old-fashioned inn, with oak- 

 panelled walls, hung with old coloured prints of 



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