"The Mahatma and the Hare: A Dream Story"
This is one of the most powerful of Haggard's stories, and follows his experience described in "A Ghostly Connection". The author styles himself Mahatma, though he doesn't claim to be such a character. Jorsen may, however, be one. The author - who is unnamed - loses his wife and young daughter in a shipping disaster, and goes to the drink. He met Jorsen on a London bridge just as he was about to drown himself. Jorsen, who seemed to know all about him, saved him and taught him to understand the world better. It seemed that the two were linked through a previous incarnation.
He learnt more of his own past (including a time as a pharaoh of Egypt), and followed Jorsen's example and set himself to help others. One day when in the British Museum the author stayed late, occupied as he was with studying the effigy of the Pharaoh he believed he once was, and a constable tried to move him on as the museum was closing. The author was annoyed, however, at being disturbed. He placed his hand on the statue - it was a Ka (or funeral effigy intended to guard and personify the deceased) - and appeared to assume a new appearance, for the constable stammered something about not meaning to disturb "His Majesty", and fled from the scene.
As the author became more instructed he was permitted to have visions which showed him the Great White Road along which the newly dead passed to the Gates. He saw his daughter, who told him to wait, and Mrs Smithers, his landlady - whom he had believed honest and now knew to be a thief. So far all the pedestrians were human, who passed through the Gates and were received by spirits bearing cups - expect for one dog, which was permitted to accompany its mistress, after it had died of grief at the little girl's death. But alone, when the Road was unusually empty, came a Hare.
The Hare, now that he was dead, could not only speak to the author - by thought not words - but could also understand aspects of his prior life which had been beyond him before. He told the author his life story. As a leveret he had been caught by the son and daughter of the Squire - Tom and Ella - and incarcerated with a fierce doe rabbit, who tried to eat him. He escaped however, and returned to his family. The Squire - known as Grampus to the gamekeeper and so by the Hare - spent eight months a year killing animals of one sort or another, and the rest of his time helping humans by sending them to gaol (he was evidently a JP). His mother and father were killed by the huntsman, and he was badly injured by a shot from Tom - which happily also injured a boy in the buttocks.
After some months hiding in the marshes to recover from his injury the Hare returned hom, and found his sister still alive. But she was caught in a noose, and he was alone. He met a doe hare, and was happy for a time until she too was killed. Now it was the hare coursing season, and the greyhounds Jack and Jill were set loose. Jack, almost reaching the Hare, broke his neck on a tree, and the hunters were impressed by the Hare's performance. Most would allow him to get away, but Tom was determined to get him.
The Hare was now hunted by hounds. He rushed into the Hall, and frightened her ladyship, and the dogs caused chaos. The Hare, knowing that the hounds would get him before long as he was exhausted and they were faster than he was, tried to swim out to sea, to drown and thus avoid being torn to pieces by the hounds. But Tom, although the hunters and Giles the keeper didn't approve, and Ella was crying, Tom caught the Hare ought of the sea, and tossed him to the hounds to be killed.
The author didn't particularly like the story, but excused himself saying that he didn't hunt. Doubtless Grampus and his family were good people according to their lights. However, to the surprise of both Hare and author, the red-faced man, Grampus, himself arrived on the Road. Evidently he has suffered a stroke as a result of the chaos of the dogs invading the manor. The Hare and the red-faced man entered into a debate about the ethics of hunting. The Hare demanded that the man be reborn as a hare, which didn't at all please him, who began to see the Hare's point of view.
The Gates now opened, and a Voice called "Who hath suffered most? Let that one first taste of peace". It continued, "Draw near, thou hare", and the Hare entered into the Gateway and was received by the Spirits bearing cups.
This is a powerful indictment of blood sports, not the killing of animals for food or for defence, but for entertainment. It shows how profound was Haggard's conversion from traditional field sports.