personalities and events,--the Horse Show, which opened next week,
and the prospects for the opera, and Mrs. de Graffenried's opening
entertainment. When they came back it was eleven o'clock, and they
found most of the guests assembled, nearly all of them looking a
little pale and uncomfortable in the merciless morning light. As the
two came in they observed Bertie Stuyvesant standing by the buffet,
in the act of gulping down a tumbler of brandy. "Bertie has taken up
the 'no breakfast fad,'" said Billy with an ironical smile.

Then began the hunt. The equipment of "Black Forest" included a
granite building, steam-heated and elaborately fitted, in which an
English expert and his assistants raised imported
pheasants--magnificent bronze-coloured birds with long, floating
black tails. Just before the opening of the season they were dumped
by thousands into the covers--fat, and almost tame enough to be fed
by hand; and now came the "hunters."

First they drew lots, for they were to hunt in pairs, a man and a
woman. Montague drew Miss Vincent--"Little Raindrop in the
Mud-puddle." Then Ollie, who was master of ceremonies, placed them
in a long line, and gave them the direction; and at a signal they
moved through the forest; Following each person were two attendants,
to carry the extra guns and reload them; and out in front were men
to beat the bushes and scare the birds into flight.

Now Montague's idea of hunting had been to steal through the bayou
forests, and match his eyes against those of the wild turkey, and
shoot off their heads with a rifle bullet. So, when one of these
birds rose in front of him, he fired, and the bird dropped; and he
could have done it for ever, he judged--only it was stupid