CHAPTER XIII 



THE PROVINCES 



A DISTINGUISHED soldier of the present 

 day, formerly as daring and enthusiastic 

 a rider as ever charged his "oxers" with the cer- 

 tainty of a fall, was once asked in my hearing by 

 a mild stranger, "Whether he had been out with 

 the Crawley and Horsham ? " if I remember right. 



" No, sir ! " was the answer, delivered in a tone 

 that somewhat startled the querist, " I have never 

 hunted with any hounds in my life but the Quorn 

 and the Pytchley, and I'll take d — d good care I 

 never do ! " 



Now I fancy that not a few of our "golden 

 youth," who are either born to it, or have con- 

 trived in their own way to get the " silver spoon " 

 into their mouths, are under the impression that 

 all hunting must necessarily be dead slow if 

 conducted out of Leicestershire, and that little 

 sport, with less excitement, is to be obtained in 

 those remote regions which they contemptuously 

 term the provinces. 



2IO 



