His Own Petard 85 



it was known upon what a hopeless quest the master 

 was bound, and he went on with something less than 

 a dozen followers. One would naturally think that no 

 M.F.H. would be ill-conditioned enough to miss a run 

 for the sake of disappointing and annoying his field, 

 but Perkinson's behaviour on this occasion as on others 

 was incomprehensible. 



' Disgusting state of things, isn't it ? ' Charlton said, 

 as he and Hedworth trotted along the road, having made 

 up their minds to spend the afternoon in seeing if a 

 couple of four-year-olds that had lately been broken had 

 any idea of jumping a hurdle. ' It's always such bad form 

 to wTangle with the master ; he's just the man that one 

 ought to support loyally ; but w'hen he's such an offensive 

 ass as Perkinson, what are you to do ? ' 



'I wish you'd taken the hounds yourself! ' Hedworth 

 remarked. 



' I wish I could have afforded it, my dear chap. If I 

 could not show sport, I w^ould at least listen to sugges- 

 tions and be civil to people. I've hunted here for 

 thirteen years, Perkinson has been here just six months, 

 so I might be supposed to know^ something about the 

 country. Besides, Bob confirmed what I said about 

 Hawk's Gorse, as anybody else in the hunt would have 

 done. I tried to make the best of Perkinson for a long 

 time. " It's only his w^ay," Carrol said ; but I can't see 

 that '* it's only his way " is any excuse for a man if his 

 way's an offensive w^ay.' 



' Yes,' Hedworth returned, ' you can put up with a 

 good deal from a master if he's a gentleman but a bad 

 sportsman, or if he's a good sportsman and not quite a 

 gentleman ; but when he's neither one nor the other it's 

 rough on subscribers, and Perkinson treats the farmers 



