Lord Rufford is not answerable for his fences." "It's the loss of crop he's going for," said Twentyman.
"How can there be pheasants to that amount in Dillsborough Wood," continued the landlord, "when everybody knows that foxes breed there every year?
There isn't a surer find for a fox in the whole county.
Everybody knows that Lord Rufford never lets his game stand in the way of foxes." Lord Rufford was Mr.Runciman's great friend and patron and best customer, and not a word against Lord Rufford was allowed in that room, though elsewhere in Dillsborough ill-natured things were sometimes said of his lordship.

Then there came on that well-worn dispute among sportsmen, whether foxes and pheasants are or are not pleasant companions to each other.

Every one was agreed that, if not, then the pheasants should suffer, and that any country gentleman who allowed his gamekeeper to entrench on the privileges of foxes in order that pheasants might be more abundant, was a "brute" and a "beast," and altogether unworthy to live in England.

Larry Twentyman and Ned Botsey expressed an opinion that pheasants were predominant in Dillsborough Wood, while Mr.Runciman, the doctor, and Harry Stubbings declared loudly that everything that foxes could desire was done for them in that Elysium of sport.
"We drew the wood blank last time we were there," said Larry.

"Don't you remember, Mr.Runciman, about the end of last March ?" "Of course I remember," said the landlord.