Chasing And Racing Some Sporting Reminiscences

ting were all very well in their way. The latter pastime (which has been falsely accused of posing as a sport) aroused the competitive spirit which has, from my earliest days, been one of my most marked characteristics. I may have something to say about my experiences in this connection later on. For the moment I will content myself by boldly asserting that all sport is cruel, and were pigeon shooting a sport, which it is not, it must be written down as no more cruel than most gunning activities, and far less than some. Having seriously contracted this wander-lust I began my search for a likely pitch, and found it in the advertisement pages of our time-honoured Field: " A fine and ancient Abbey with kennels, stabling, 22 bedrooms, standing in its own well-timbered grounds, with 1500 acres' shooting and first-ratetrout fishing." These were some of the attractions offered. Forthwith I sent the faithful Ted on a voyage of discovery and inspection. His report was highly favourable. Knowing me for the keen angler I was and ever will be, as long as I can cast a fly, my hefty cousin waxed eloquent as to the " whoppers " he had seen in the narrows (it was then the spawning season) of one of the lakelets, fed by a stream named the Misburn, a little tributary of the Chess. Without more ado I hied me to the agents, and in due course found myself fixed up with a three years' tenancy of Missenden Abbey?furnished. Thither I removed my lares and penates as quickly as mi... --This text refers to the Paperback edition.