at the pace
proper to feeding time, and, judging by its deliberate sluggishness, it
seemed to be inviting death. When the short pitter-patter of the
terriers' feet sounded on the grass, Bunny made a clumsy attempt to
quicken his pace; the leading dog plunged at him, and by a convulsive
effort the rabbit managed to swirl round and get clear. Then the second
dog shot in; then came one or two quick, nervous jerks from side to
side; then the beaten creature faltered, and was instantly seized and
swung into the air. A good wild rabbit would have been half-way across
the next field, but that unhappy invalid had no chance.

The other courses were of much the same character, for the rabbit, being
used to run on a beaten path, has not the resource and dexterity of the
hare. One strong specimen distanced the pair of tiny weeds that were set
after him, but the pack of roughs were whooping at the border of the
field, and the doomed rabbit was soon clutched and pocketed.

The betting was furious; a few hard-faced, well-dressed men did their
wagering quietly and to heavy amounts, but the mob yelled and squabbled
and cursed after their usual manner, and they were all ready to drink
when we returned. This is a fair description of rabbit coursing, and I
leave influential persons to decide as to whether or no it is a useful
or improving form of entertainment. I have my doubts, but must be
severely impartial. I will say this, however, that if any one of us had
spent the afternoon over a good novel, or something of that kind, he
would have been taken out of himself, and, when he rose, his mind would
have been filled with quiet and gracious thoughts. Our gang were
suffering from a form of the lust for blood; they were thirsty, and they
were possessed by that species of excitement which makes a man ready to
turn savage on any, or no, provocation.

The bar was like the place of damned souls until eight o'clock:
everybody roared at the top of his voice; nobody listened to anybody
else, and everybody drank more or less feverishly. We had a supper to
celebrate the destruction of the rabbits, and afterwards the truculent
gentlemen, who had bellowed so vigorously in the field, sang sentimental
songs about "Mother, dear mother," "Stay with me, my darling, stay," or
patriotic songs referring to an article of drapery known as "The Flag of
Old Hengland."

For half-an-hour our intricate choruses resounded as we went in groups
deviously homeward, a