Rugby Days. 65 



beer for the hungry and thirsty hounds, who 

 seldom succeeded in catching the hares. I re- 

 member that the newly appointed rural police 

 thought that it was part of their duty (which, 

 indeed, the farmers represented it to be) to 

 apprehend either the hares or the hounds for 

 trespassing upon private grounds, and break- 

 ing down fences. These worthies, however, 

 had but a poor chance of catching boys in 

 prime condition and able to stand a ten or 

 twelve mile gallop without flinching. When 

 the guardians of the peace found that they 

 were not fleet enough to catch the delin- 

 quents, they had recourse to all kinds of 

 Ulyssean stratagems, such as hiding be- 

 hind hedges or barn-ends to lay hands 

 upon some stray offender. If by chance 

 one was ever captured, no policeman that 

 I ever heard of was proof against receiving a 

 quart of beer in exchange for a release. 



"One of the most amusing incidents during 

 my Cambridge career, which I cannot refrain 

 from hanging on to my Rugby reminis- 

 cences, was the announcement which thrilled 

 the University in the year when Attila won 

 the Derby, that a couple of prize-fighters, 

 5 



