THE CASUS BELLI ii 



Mark this, oh paterfamilias, oh nervous mother, 

 and oh estimable guardians, whose boys are, or 

 would be, soldiers, and oh commanding officers, 

 whose subalterns would hunt. For this knowledge 

 and these qualities are soldierly knowledge and 

 qualities, and are, moreover, only a very few 

 examples of what qualities and knowledge hunt- 

 ing can impart to your youngster, things, in fact, 

 without which no man's soldiering education is 

 complete. 



We have Sir Evelyn Wood's authority for it that 

 hunting can teach, and if you wish the apple of your 

 eye to be a soldier, that is really a soldier, and to 

 have every advantage to make him so, then let 

 him learn. 



Father, do not say, " I never had a horse in my 

 time, and I don't see what he wants with it ! " 



Nervous mother, do not say, " But it is so 

 dangerous!" If hunting is the most dangerous 

 thing your soldier will ever do, he will never really 

 be a soldier, he will only play at it. Remember 

 that hunting will give him the requisite nerve and 

 decision to extricate himself from a very much 

 tighter fix than a roll with a horse. Besides, 

 remember also poor Lindsay Gordon's lines — 



" There ne'er was a game that was worth a rap 

 For a rational man to play. 

 Into which no danger, no mishap, 

 Could possibly find its way." 



Estimable guardians, do not say, "It will lead to 

 habits of extravagance, racing, betting, etc." There 



