192 MEMORIES OF THE SHIRES 



struck me that there was a much larger proportion 

 of black coats than I had ever noticed before, and 

 that many regular followers of hounds were clad 

 in sober colours instead of the regulation pink. 

 Now this is all wrong, and not as it should be. All 

 of us who subscribe to hounds or enjoy a stake in 

 the country ought to clothe ourselves in the proper 

 costume out of respect to the hunt and its master, 

 if for no other reason. There are, however, many 

 other good and sufficient reasons which should 

 compel us to wear a scarlet coat when hunting 

 regularly with a pack of hounds. One of these, 

 which is by no means unimportant, is that men 

 over whose land we disport ourselves like to see 

 the scarlet, and that should be quite enough for us. 

 The unconscious influence of brilliant colouring 

 on the minds of those who live amongst sober tints 

 is a fact which is not sufficiently appreciated by 

 men to whom gorgeous displays are common 

 sights. The countryman reaps very few advant- 

 ages from the sportsmen who invade his district, 

 and we might therefore at least give him the benefit 

 of a respectable show. It is to our interest, and to 

 the interest of hunting generally, that the sport 

 should remain popular amongst those whom cir- 

 cumstances prevent from taking any active partici- 

 pation, and we may be sure that popularity would 

 quickly wane were the scarlet coat to become a 

 thing of the past. 



" We are well aware, or should be if we are not, 

 that we hunt only on sufferance, and we accept 

 the privilege of disporting ourselves over the land 

 without making any acknowledgment. Our fore- 

 fathers did this in generations gone by, and the 



