r of some maps in London, and was wary, as
all people ought to be, of these birds.

The stranger came sidling up with a half-bow, half-touch of the hat,
drawling out:

''Sceuuse me, sir--'sceuuse me, sir,' with another half-bow and another
half-touch of the hat. 'I'm Mister Bragg, sir--Mister Richard Bragg, sir;
of whom you have most likely heard.'

'Bragg--Richard Bragg,' repeated our friend, thoughtfully, while he scanned
the man's features, and ran his sporting acquaintance through his mind's
eye.

'Bragg, Bragg,' repeated he, without hitting him off.

'I was huntsman, sir, to my Lord Reynard, sir,' observed the stranger, with
a touch of the hat to each 'sir.' 'Thought p'r'aps you might have known his
ludship, sir. Before him, sir, I held office, sir, under the Duke of
Downeybird, sir, of Downeybird Castle, sir, in Downeybirdshire, sir.'

'Indeed!' replied Mr. Puffington, with a half-bow and a smile of
politeness.

'Hearing, sir, you had taken these Mangeysterne _dogs_, sir,' continued the
stranger, with rather a significant emphasis on the word
'_dogs_'--'hearing, sir, you had taken these Mangeysterne _dogs_, sir, it
occurred to me that possibly I might be useful to you, sir, in your new
calling, sir; and if you were of the same opinion, sir, why, sir, I should
be glad to negotiate a connexion, sir.'

'Hem!--hem!--hem!' coughed Mr. Puffington. 'In the way of a huntsman do you
mean?' afraid to talk of servitude to so fine a gentleman.

'Just so,' said Mr. Bragg, with a chuck of his head, 'just so. The fact is,
though I'm used to the grass countries, sir, and could go to the Marquis of
Maneylies, sir, to-morrow, sir, I should prefer a quiet place in a somewhat
inferior country, sir, to a five-days-a-week one in the best. Five and six
days a week, sir, is a terrible tax, sir, on the constitution, sir; and
though, sir, I'm thankful to say, sir, I've pretty good 'ealth, sir, yet,
sir, you know, sir, it don't do, sir, to take too great liberties with
oneself, sir'; Mr. Bragg sawing away at his hat as he spoke, measuring off
a touch, as it were, to each 'sir,' the action becoming quick towards the
end.

'Why, to tell you the truth,' said Puff, looking rather sheepish, 'to tell
you the truth--I intended--I thought at least of--of--of--hunting them
myself.'

'Ah! that's another pair of shoes altogether, as we say in France,' replied
Bragg, with a low bow and a copious round of the hand to the hat. 'That's
_anot