Men We Meet in the Field; or, The Bullshire HoundsBagot, A. G.
General
Men We Meet in the Field; or, The Bullshire Hounds
Bagot, A. G.
Hunting -- Anecdotes; Hunting -- Great Britain; Hunting -- Humor
Unfortunately for him there was a bull in the corner, which neither he
nor anyone else had noticed, and just as the gate swung to and latched
again, the hounds hit off the line and went over the brook. At the same
moment the bull, having lashed himself into a rage, and maddened by the
cry of the hounds, singled out Story's red coat and charged down on him.
This startled his gallant steed. Away he went, followed by the bull,
and, to everyone's intense astonishment and amusement, Story was seen on
his horse's neck well over the water.
He himself will tell you that he cut the whole field down--"Pounded
them, sir, on my honour, at the brook;" but the real facts of the case
are those I have just narrated.
Most particular is Mr. Story as to his external appearance, and the bows
of his well-fitting leathers are tied with a mathematical accuracy
attainable only by long and patient manipulation, aided by the use of
various scientific instruments, such as pincers and button-hooks, of
which he keeps a large assortment. His necktie is the envy of half the
men in the field, while the peculiar shade of his tops has caused more
envy, hatred, and malice among the valets than one would have believed
possible.
It is very fine to hear the contemptuous tone he assumes when dilating
on the performances of those sportsmen who come under the head of the
"galloping-and-jumping division." "Look at them," he will say. "I ask
you, what do they know about hunting? They've only one idea--jump, jump,
jump, all day. Now no one is fonder of a quick thing than I am, but you
never see me galloping about, jumping over everything I can find" (the
only true thing in his speech), "and yet when it comes to riding, I
flatter myself I can give them a stone and a beating. Valpy! Faugh, a
rough-rider, sir, a rough-rider. Nowhere in a run. Have beaten him over
and over again, 'pon my honour. You remember that forty minutes we had,"
etc. etc.; and then follows a glowing description of some imaginary run
over the stiffest part of the country, where Story had the hounds all to
himself after the first ten minutes, and never saw a soul again till
they had broken up their fox.
If he happens to be at his own house he will take you off to his den,
and, by way of corroborating the tale, will point out the brush of the
identical fox hanging over the mantelpiece, and handling it carefully,
will say: "Ah, there is some satisfaction in having a brush that one
gets all by one's self."
(Quite so, Mr. Story; but what was that small piece of gold for, that
found its way out of your pocket into that of Charles the First Whip?)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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