6 SPORT OB MURDER. 



killing, for the instinct of slaughter is strong in them. 

 With them nothing is valuable unless it is to be 

 killed. If it can be eaten afterwards, so much the 

 better ; but the great enjoyment consists in the 

 mere act of killing. 



They contrive to disguise the ugliness of the thing 

 by giving it any name but the right one ; but, in 

 spite of the name, the thing exists. And I wonder, 

 if they were to look very closely into themselves, 

 whether they would not find there a decided desire 

 to kill men, provided that they had no reason to dread 

 the consequences. Those who have practised the 

 sport unanimously say that nothing is so exciting as 

 man-hunting and killing and that all other sport is 

 tame in comparison. 



The chief name under which this profanity is dis- 

 guised is that of " Sport," a word which always re- 

 minds me of the "Frog and Boys" fable. There 

 are actually men who are audacious enough to de- 

 clare that there is no cruelty in " sport " ; that foxes 

 are charmed at being hunted, and that pheasants 

 derive a singular gratification from getting shot. 

 Now, I never was either a fox or a pheasant ; but I 

 entirely repudiate the assertion that any animal likes 

 to be chased or to be wounded ; and, moreover, I 

 disbelieve the sincerity of the man who can say such 

 a thing. If he says openly that he finds excitement 

 in the chase, and means to gratify himself without 

 any reference to the feelings of the creatures which 



