72 A MONTH IN THE FORESTS OF FRANCE. 



do ; he won't nod his head ; and^ when the trigger is 

 pulled, he can't occasion me any mischief: it will 

 then be all too late." 



" You will go off into the trees." 



" Well ! we shall see ! " 



The day on which this fixture had been made by 

 M. E. Brunier, was a sort of hospitable gala-day to 

 his immediate friends ; and we and all his hunting 

 acquaintances had been asked to meet him in the 

 forest, and breakfast under the greenwood tree. I do 

 not usually expect much sport on these " breakfast 

 days," whether in England or France ; but, all being 

 new to me, I was very happy. We found a table in 

 one of the rides, attended by an English girl, and a 

 better breakfast I never desire to see. Such a cold 

 pike, with an excellent salad, as I scarcely ever tasted. 

 All the French gentlemen were most kind and atten- 

 tive to me, and inspected my appointments narrowly, 

 my heavy double gun and all. 



The breakfast being over, I walked up the ride to 

 where it came out on the high road. Hearing there 

 were to be two packs of hounds united for the attack 

 on wolves, and at first, with the idea of huntsmen and 

 whippers-in in my head, I expected at least to see 

 four mounted men and forty couple of hounds. My 

 brother sportsmen in England will guess my surprise 



