第2章

Whenhehasregainedhisequilibriumheseesthehappybutchergoingintothefieldbeyond。Hemeanstocursethebutcherwhenhecatcheshim，butthebutcherissafe。Afieldandahalfbeforehimhestillseesthetailhounds，andrenewshiseffort。

Hehasmeanttolikeitto—day，andhewill。Soheridesatthenextfenceboldly，wherethebutcherhaslefthismark，anddoesitprettywell，withaslightstruggle。Whyisitthathecannevergetoveraditchwithoutsomestruggleinhissaddle，somescramblewithhishorse？Whydoeshecursethepooranimalsoconstantly，unlessitbethathecannotcatchthebutcher？Nowherushesatagatewhichothershaveopenedforhim，butrushestoolateandcatcheshisleg。Madwithpain，henearlygivesitup，butthesparkofpluckisstillthere，andwiththrobbingkneeheperseveres。Howhehatesit！Itisalldetestablenow。Hecannotholdhishorsebecauseofhisgloves，andhecannotgetthemoff。Thesympatheticbeastknowsthathismasterisunhappy，andmakeshimselfunhappyandtroublesomeinconsequence。Ourfriendisstillgoing，ridingwildly，butstillkeepingagrainofcautionforhisfences。Hehasnotbeendownyet，buthasbarelysavedhimselfmorethanonce。Theploughsareverydeep，andhishorse，thoughstillboringathim，pantsheavily。Oh，thattheremightcomeacheck，orthatthebruteofafoxmighthappilygotoground！Butno！Theruckofthehuntisfarawayfromhiminfront，andthegameisrunningsteadilystraightforsomewellknownthoughstilldistantprotection。Butthemanwhodoesn\'tlikeitstillseesaredcoatbeforehim，andperseveresinchasingthewearerofit。Thesolitaryredcoatbecomesdistant，andstillmoredistantfromhim，buthegoesonwhilehecanyetkeepthelineinwhichthatredcoathasridden。Hemusthurryhimself，however，orhewillbelosttohumanity，andwillbealone。Hemusthurryhimself，buthishorsenowdesirestohurrynomore。Soheputshisspurstothebrutesavagely，andthenatsomelittlefence，someignobleditch，theycomedowntogetherinthemud，andthequestionofanyfurthereffortissavedfortherider。Whenhearisestheredcoatisoutofsight，andhisownhorseishalfacrossthefieldbeforehim。Insuchaposition，isitpossiblethatamanshouldlikeit？

Aboutfouro\'clockintheafternoon，whentheothermenarecomingin，heturnsupatthehuntingstables，andnobodyaskshimanyquestions。Hemayhavebeendoingfairlywellforwhatanybodyknows，and，ashesaysnothingofhimself，hisdisgraceisatanyratehidden。Whyshouldhetellthathehadbeennearlyanhouronfoottryingtocatchhishorse，thathehadsathimselfdownonabankandalmostcried，andthathehaddrainedhisflasktothelastdropbeforeoneo\'clock？Nooneneedknowtheextentofhismiseries。Andnoonedoesknowhowgreatisthemiseryenduredbythosewhohuntregularly，andwhodonotlikeit。

THEMANWHOHUNTSANDDOESLIKEIT。

Themanwhohuntsanddoeslikeitisanobjectofkeenenvytothemanwhohuntsanddoesn\'t;buthe，too，hashisownmiseries，andIamnotpreparedtosaythattheyarealwayslessaggravatingthanthoseenduredbyhislessambitiousbrotherinthefield。He，too，whenhecomestomakeuphisaccount，whenhebringshishuntingtobookandinquireswhetherhiswhistlehasbeenworthitsprice，isdriventodeclarethatvanityandvexationofspirithavebeentheprevailingcharacteristicsofhishuntinglife。Onhowmanyeveningshashereturnedcontentedwithhissport？Howmanydayshashedeclaredtohavebeenutterlywasted？Howoftenhavefrostandsnow，droughtandrain，windandsunshine，impededhisplans？fortoahuntingmanfrost，snow，drought，rain，windandsunshine，willallcomeamiss。Then，whentheonerunoftheseasoncomes，heisnotthere！Hehasbeenidleandhastakenalibertywiththeday;orhehasfollowedothergodsandgonewithstrangehounds。Withsoreearsandbitterhearthehearstheexaggeratedboastingsofhiscomrades，andalmostswearsthathewillhavenomoreofit。

Attheendoftheseasonhetellshimselfthattheseason\'samusementhascosthimfivehundredpounds;thathehashadonegoodday，threedaysthatwerenotbad，andthatalltheresthavebeenvanityandvexationofspirit。Afterall，itmaybeaquestionwhetherthemanwhohuntsanddoesn\'tlikeitdoesnothavethebestofit。

Whenweconsiderwhatisenduredbythehuntingmanthewonderisthatanymanshouldlikeit。IntheolddaysofSquireWestern，andintheolddaystoosincethetimeofSquireWestern，theolddaysofthirtyyearssince，thehuntingmanhadhishuntingneartohim。Hewasacountrygentlemanwhoconsideredhimselftobeenergeticifhewentouttwiceaweek，andindoingthisherarelylefthishouseearlierforthatpurposethanhewouldleaveitforothers。Atcertainperiodsoftheyearheifhowentouttwiceaherarelylefthishousethanhewouldleaveitperiodsoftheyearhewould，perhaps，beoutbeforedawn;butthenthegeneralhabitsofhislifeconducedtoearlyrising;andhisdistanceswereshort。Ifhekeptacoupleofhorsesforthepurposehewaswellmounted，andthesehorseswereavailableforotheruses。Herodeoutandhome，joggingslowlyalongtheroads，andwasamartyrtonoambition。Allthathasbeenchangednow。Themanwhohuntsandlikesit，eithertakesasmallhurtingseatawayfromthecomfortsofhisownhome，orhelocateshimselfmiserablyataninn，orheundergoesthepurgatoryofdailyjourneysupanddownfromLondon，doingthatforhishuntingwhichnoconsiderationofmoney—makingwouldinducehimtodoforhisbusiness。Hishuntingrequiresfromhimeverything，histime，hismoney，hissocialhours，hisrest，hissweetmorningsleep;nay，hisverydinnershavetobesacrificedtothisMoloch！

Letusfollowhimonanordinaryday。Hisgroomcomestohisbed—

chamberatseveno\'clock，andtellshimthatithasfrozenduringthenight。IfhebeaLondonman，usingthetrainforhishunting，heknowsnothingofthefrost，anddoesnotlearnwhetherthedaybepracticableornottillhefindshimselfdowninthecountry。Butwewillsupposeourfriendtobelocatedinsomehuntingdistrict，andaccordinglyhisgroomvisitshimwithtidings。"Isitfreezingnow？"heasksfromunderthebedclothes。

Andeventhemanwhodoeslikeitatsuchmomentsalmostwishesthattheanswershouldbeplainlyintheaffirmative。ThenswiftlyagaintothearmsofMorpheushemighttakehimself，andrufflehistempernofurtheronthatmorning！Hedesires，atanyrate，adecisiveanswer。Tobeornottobeasregardsthatday\'shurtingiswhathenowwantstoknow。Butthatisexactlywhatthegroomcannottellhim。"It\'sjustathincrustoffrost，sir，andthes\'mometerisastandingatthepint。"Thatistheanswerwhichthemanmakes，andonthathehastocometoadecision！Forhalfanhourheliesdoubtingwhilehiswaterisgettingcold，andthensendsforhismanagain。Thethermometerisstillstandingatthepoint，butthemanhastriedthecrustwithhisheelandfoundittobeverythin。Themanwhohuntsandlikesitscornshisease，andresolvesthathewillatanyratepersevere。Hetumblesintohistub，andalittlebeforeninecomesouttohisbreakfast，stilldoubtingsorelywhetherornotheday"willdo。"Therehe，perhaps，meetsoneortwootherslikehimself，andlearnsthatthemenwhohuntanddon\'tlikeitarestillwarmintheirbeds。Onsuchmorningsasthese，andsuchmorningsareverymany，themenwhohuntanddonotlikeitcertainlyhavethebestofit。Themanwhohuntsanddoeslikeittakeshimselfouttosomekitchen—gardenorneighbouringpaddock，andkicksatthegroundhimself。Certainlythereisacrust，averymanifestcrust。Thoughheputsupinthecountry，hehastogosixteenmilestothemeet，andhasnomeansofknowingwhetherornothehoundswillgoout。"Jorrocksalwaysgoesifthere\'sachance，"saysonefellow，speakingofthemaster。"Idon\'tknow，"saysourfriend;"he\'sadealsloweratitthanheusedtobe。Formypart，IwishJorrockswouldgo;he\'sgettingtooold。"Thenheboltsamuttonchopandacoupleofeggshurriedly，andsubmitshimselftobecarriedoffinthetrap。

Thoughheishalfanhourlateatthemeet，nohoundshaveasyetcome，andhebeginstocursehisluck。Anon—huntingday，adaythatturnsouttobenodayforhuntingpurposes，beguninthisway，isofalldaysthemostmelancholy。Whatisamantodowithhimselfwhohasputhimselfintohisbootsandbreeches，andwhothenfindshimself，byoneo\'clock，landedbackathisstarting—

pointwithoutemployment？Whoundersuchcircumstancescanapplyhimselftoanysalutaryemployment？Cigarsandstable—talkareallthatremaintohim;anditiswellforhimifhecanrefrainfromtheadditionalexcitementofbrandyandwater。

Butonthepresentoccasionwewillnotpresumethatourfriendhasfallenintosodeepabathosofmisfortune。Attwelveo\'clockTomappears，withthehoundsfollowingslowlyathisheels;andadozenmen，angrywithimpatience，flyathimwithassurancesthattherehasbeennosignoffrostsinceteno\'clock。"Ain\'tthere？"saysTom;"youlookatthenorthsidesofthebanks，andseehowyou\'dlikeit。"Someonemakesanuncivilremarkastothenorthsidesofthebanks，andwantstoknowwhenoldJorrocksiscoming。"Thesquire\'llbeheretimeenough，"saysTom。Andthentheretakesplacethatslowwalkingupanddownofthehounds，whichonsuchmorningsalwayscontinuesforhalfanhour。Lethimwhoenviestheconditionofthemanwhohuntsandlikesit，rememberthatacoldthawisgoingon，thatourfriendisalreadysulkywithwaiting，thattorideupanddownforanhourandahalfatawalkingpaceonsuchamorningisnotanexhilaratingpastime，andhewillunderstandthatthehuntingmanhimselfmayhavedoubtsastothewisdomofhiscourseofaction。