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。