again fell to our guns, and a bob-tailed pointer, who gave chase, was potted accidentally. As the shouts came nearer, it was pretty clear that something more than common was up; and loud cries of "wilde Schwein, wilde Schwein," were borne along the wind.

In the meantime a pretty quarrel, as it stood, and one which in England must have ended in a fight, occurred between our rival students. Like as a Sheffield grinder, or a fighting Brummagem lad deserts his scissors or his buttons on the twelfth of August, to pick up the proceeds of the legitimate gunner at so much per diem on a Yorkshire or Derbyshire moor, and stands ready to dispute the possession of a bird with the sportsman, aided by a suspicious-looking bulldog with one eye; so in like manner did Heidelberg and Leyden now stand ready to do battle over the prostrate carcass of a dead rabbit; and nothing but the presence of mind displayed by the Chief, in claiming the body of the defunct fer the general bag, and requesting the rival claimants to return to their posts, prevented any serious engagement.

The wild pig had taken shelter in the plantation, and a general council was called about the Baron, for dislodging and disposing of him. The pig, or boar as it would be more dignified to call him, caused great excitement. The guns were loaded with ball, with which we were provided, and such as had large knives, which served for bread and cheese, and pig sticking, prepared manfully for the attack.

The pipes went out, and even the Dutch burgomeister exhibited some signs of energy. I had an indistinct vision of pictures by Schneiders, and dogs lying about in various uncomfortable attitudes. Some misgivings assailed me, in prospect of a direct attack; and I mentally hoped he might satisfy his appetite with a pointer or two before he got to me. However, the greater number of our chasseurs were evidently so little alarmed at the prospect before them, that I endeavoured to look less unconcerned than I felt. The beaters surrounded the far end of the plantation, some twenty or thirty acres in extent, and we were placed at the different openings, or ridings, as we should call them here, but just on the outside of the cover. And now the shouting began. By the politeness of the Baron and his companions I had been placed where it was most probable that this wilde Schwein would attempt to break. For some time we waited in profound silence ourselves; the beaters making the noise-the brushwood rustled near me, my heart was half-up in my mouth, expecting to see a formidable beast, like a hippopotamus, when a fine old dog-fox broke within a few yards of me, and ran towards the Hamburgh bagman, who treated him to a charge of shot from his left hand barrel, with which, however, he walked off. The beaters drew nearer, but no wild boar that I could see disturbed our equanimity. The Dutchman had just relighted his pipe, and I was about asking for a light to my cigar, with my gun on my shoulder, when a loud shout proclaimed the find, followed by two or three dropping shots at intervals. Look out, Herr Englander," and I prepared for death or glory. A perceptible crushing of underwood, and a brace of pointers in full chase; nearer and nearer it came; another second or two and I should be dead or victorious: when true enough the brushwood did open within 10 or 12 yards of where I stood, and out rushed at a considerable pace, and considerably alarmed, an Irish pig. The poor beast was already bleeding from a wound, and his bob-tailed persecutors were upon

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him; so taking a deliberate aim, I shot him with a ball in the head, and ended his troubles with his life.

I was immediately surrounded, and received the congratulations of the company as a mighty boar-hunter; 1 looked upon myself as a bad pork

butcher.

Very little more was done that day; it was getting late, and after one or two more shots, we commenced our retreat home, it being St. Hubert's Day, to prepare for the ball. I never could understand what shooting, or hunting, or racing in the morning, has to do with dancing at night. Sportsmen are not particularly given that way; at least, not many of them: would-be sportsmen affect to despise it more than their betters. Yet everywhere in England, a non-dancing nation by comparison, a ball succeeds a hunt or race meeting. We need not therefore be surprised that our unshorn neighbours should have made St. Hubert's Day an excuse for an extra dose of their favourite amusement. We were to meet again in the Casino, or Assembly Rooms; where we should be enlivened by the presence of the Hochwohlgeborne Frau Gemahlinnen, Frei Frauleins, and all the Demoiselle-schaft of Cleves.

I went home to shave; I cant say the same of my late companions. The Casino was a large and handsomely floored, and lighted room; and when I got there, which I did pretty early, I found the room half filled, and a German band of no mean pretensions in the middle of a galoppe. The polka, thank Providence, had not been invented; and a German galoppe is not quite the flying avant-courier style of dance which the English love to make it. Besides this, there was an order and sobriety in the dancing department, which proclaimed at once a dancing people. It was evidently as much a matter of business as of pleasure; and one thing I must say struck me, which was very clever there were no old women, nor wallflowers. Nothing there was too old or too ugly for dancing: faces have, after all, very little to do with feet. Not that the room was deficient in beauty, of the light blue and paste description; and the hair appeared to be dressed to a turn. There were the two Freifraulein Von Knickerbochen; smartish looking girls, though not so smart as their father, who, in honour of the day, had dressed himself in what he was pleased to call a "Melton coat ;" it appeared to me to be an infantry officer's dress coat, with the collar turned back, minus the epaulets and facings. As the Baron was stout, and the tails swallow, it had a somewhat Monmouth-street appearance from behind. His daughters were hard at work with the two students ; and his son, a Prussian lancer, of six feet two, was whirling round the room Madame Van Ripstiefel.

As the company increased, I soon paired off myself, and took my station with a nice-looking, fat, little girl at the extremity of a line of about 50 couples of dancers. Before I leave the ball-room to tell you what happened afterwards, I must inform my courteous reader of one thing; and it would save a great deal of mental abjuration, dress-tearing, and perspiration, if it were adopted in England.

Every couple takes its stand behind the foremost couple, the steward then, according to the size of the room, starts about 6, 8, or 10 couples for a galoppe or waltz of so many turns round the room; at a given signal from him they stop, going to the end of the rank, and a certain number from the front perform in like manner. You see by this me

thod that every one has his share of dancing; and what is of much importance to persons who really like it, you are not liable to be knocked over by every lubberly bumpkin who thinks he can dance because he can put one foot before the other, when there's nothing in the room but himself and the chair he practises with. When my uncle in India dies, I intend Mrs. Scribble to set the fashion.

The supper was good; heavy that is, such as hungry people might be expected to provide. Solids to eat, very few solids to drink. I was amusing myself watching the lovemaking, and the eating-for the Germans, save officers and students, are not a chivalrous people-when I was requested, by a servant in office, "to step this way." I was ushered into a largish room, very dimly lighted, got up evidently to represent the "Inquisition." The upper end of the chamber was hung with black; and on a raised bench sat three judges, in long black and red robes, with masked faces; insignia of office lay before them; and on a table apart, attended by officials, was the game which had been shot in the morning. I was now given to understand that all this had been or would be sold by auction; and that as the chasse was partly paid for out of this fund, it was necessary to enquire, on this occasion, into any mistakes or deficiencies of the sportsmen. One had been mulcted for shooting the dog, the student for peppering his neighbour's hat; while for the minor offences of missing, neglecting to shoot, carrying your muzzle down, or making your game unsaleable, by blowing it to pieces, a very singular punishment was awarded. It was no other than, after pleading, to stare in the face of the judge, and with a plate in your hand, imitate certain manipulations of his, on your own face, after rubbing your finger on the bottom of the plate. After your performance and according to your appearance, you were declared to be either guilty or not guilty, and fined accordingly.

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Herr Englander," you are accused of refusing to kill a fox when in your power to do so. This offence is cancelled, however, by the death of the boar, which is to be attributed mainly to your courage and good shooting. You are also accused of assisting to blow to atoms an unfortunate hare, for which offence your companions have already suffered; how say you, guilty or not guilty?"

Entering at once into the joke, and very happy to afford amusement, at a few silver groschen, I answered "Not guilty."

"Take the plate, and do as I do." The judge then took the plate, rubbing his finger over the bottom, and making a mark on each side of his upper lip, in the shape of a moustache with a most portentous curl. I imitated him exactly, and upon a rigid scrutiny of my face, I was declared not guilty and discharged.

I sought the ball room in hopes of an explanation of this very curious proceeding. I had not to ask long-one of the first objects that presented itself was the student of Heidelberg; he had a handsome black cross of burnt cork on his forehead, a streak down his nose, and a vigorous curl at the end of his incipient moustache: he saluted me with a broad grin, in return for the burst of laughter with which I greeted him. He was quite unconscious of the ornamental addition to his figure-head. As the rooms began to fill again, of course, we all became conscious of our improved appearance, by the undisguised laughter of our partners, as well as by the comparison of notes with one another. Twenty of us

at least, guilty and not guilty, bore upon us the marks of this unholy inquisition. I do not think the convicts appeared less acceptable to their partners; in one or two cases certainly not, if we might judge by a certain dark smudge upon the cheek, or lips, or even nose, in those female faces on which that organ was prominently developed.

Both the Demoiselles Von Knickerbochen bore testimony to the darkness of the staircase, where they must have run up against a convict by accident, it was first thought.

"Oh! Malchen dear, what have you been doing with yourself?" said Augusta; and Gott bewahr, Auguste, what a smudge !" said Amelie.

Von Leyden and Von Heidelderg were about fighting, both accusing the other of too delicate attention to their respective partners; until a general survey convinced the disputants that their case was not singular and that they might have made no mistake after all.

I hardly know whether we could have terminated our festivities on St. Hubert's Day in a manner more pleasing to that worthy old sinner; who spent the morning of his life in the joys of the chase, and its evening in the enjoyment of domestic felicity.

"I am a friend, Sir, to public amusements; for they keep people from vice."— DR. JOHNSON TO SIR ADAM FERGUSON.

The sight of Tinian was not more welcome to Anson's crew than the arrival of the second October week is to myself. Seven months of racing, which always commence in my private calendar with Northampton, and finish off with the Cesarewitch day, are as much as I can well stomach. After that time, I begin to think again, not of steeple-chasers, but of hare forms, and quite sympathise in the disgust with which old Frank Buckle would have regarded all racing meets advertised to come off after the last Saturday of the Houghton Meeting. At one time I feared that the elements intended no Cesarewitch for me this year, but the sheet-lightning and thunder of the previous Saturday gave note of a change; and therefore, seeing no reasonable chance of a renewal of the drenching which I received on the 2,000gs. day, I once more found myself under weigh for the Heath. Nine events met my eye on the "CORRECT CARD " (Clark and Rogers seem to have lost their paste

board monopoly), and by a quarter to twelve all the "noble sportsmen" were assembled. In the first match Lord Derby found out how very much easier work it was to defeat a Coalition in horseflesh than in human shape, albeit the filly in question is far from a contemptible one to look at: she seemed to be conscious of what awaited her, as she pirouetted about like a wild thing, the moment she left the Duke Stand Stables, till I'Anson, on his chesnut pony, contrived to coax her away. Hobby Horse, who required no little rousing, had lost all the Pigburn polish of the spring, and bore a lengthy, lean look, and a wonderfully long neck. Lord Glasgow had as little luck in his next essay, as Sister to Caracara, who is much neater made and not nearly so powerful as her brother, seemed to cut it, the moment she was called on to finish; and Senorita found it equally hopeless to give 37lbs. to Grimalkin. During the week, his Lordship stood to lose £3,000 by his fifteen matches, supposing he had happened to run and lose them all; but at the end of it, he had only lost £350 by them. Talfourd, who was supposed to have been bought in for 3,000gs. as a yearling, at Colonel Peel's sale, realized £1,140 in the Royal Stakes for his new owner. He was quite the gem of the lot, both in look and condition; and not having any great turn of speed, it was his cue to rake away from the post, and fairly cut his opponents down. Bumby was not a little pleased at achieving his first victory as trainer-jockey in those harlequin colours which Mr. Watts deserted when his nasty in-and-out runner, Tordesilas, so disappointed his hopes. He is, to our minds, a very neat and rising jockey, disdaining all flourish, and riding with all the courage and caution of the Job Marson school of horsemen. Filbert looked very dull, and Vanderdecken's temper would not permit him to go near his horses for some time. The more Marlow tried to get him behind them, the more he backed, striking his front feet against each other, and threatening to sit down in front of Mr. Hibburd, like the Clown's pony friend at Astley's. He looked handsome, thin, and leggy, very light in his middle-piece, and seemed, moreover, to be beaten in the first two hundred yards, though he rallied wonderfully towards the finish. The Clearwell produced the poorest field we have seen for some time, its winner being a good-sized, stout, plain sort of mare out of old Celia. Astolfo is a short, compact, and very neat horse, and certainly in very much nicer form than he was at York. However, he gave forth such unmistakeable diarrhoea symptoms, just as he emerged from the Ditch Stables, that some of his friends lost heart. Mortimer was quite the nicest of the lot; with plenty of length, short legs, and bearing a strong general resemblance to his sire, Alarm. Ruminator, a stable chum of Ruby's, was a pretty and rather Launcelot-looking sort of horse, and went very well; while Helmet, like all his kith and kin, was tall and leggy, with a nice forehand, and not one of the strongest backs in the world. Mirabeau was the most peculiar, sleepy-looking animal we have seen for many a day; very stout-made in his limbs, but with a back of unearthly length, and a complete dead level to boot. Like himself, his great namesake was so ugly as to be styled a tiger marked with the smalll-pox." His mother, Myrrha, will long be remembered, both by the Caledonian Hunt members and Fobert, as having very unexpectedly created a sensation by her defeat of General Chassé. As they were scattered everywhere, I saw scarcely any horses saddled for the Cesarewitch. Joe Miller looked rather