32 THE HUNTING FIELD 



announcement of all the meets ; in fact you have a 

 right to expect me to hunt the country, not for my 

 own convenience, but to the satisfaction and amuse- 

 ment of others." 



Some people, we may observe, are very difficult to 

 please, and very unreasonable in their expectations 

 about hunting, especially on the point of hounds 

 going out without due notice. Nothing can be more 

 absurd, for any one who has watched the weather and 

 localities, must be aware that, during the ticklish part 

 of the season, hounds can often hunt in one part of 

 a country and not in another, and that "hunt" or 

 " no hunt " is sometimes the work of one capricious 

 hour. When the electric telegraph is established 

 throughout the country, out-lying gentlemen will have 

 a better chance of being communicated with, but 

 even then we question whether any of the grumblers 

 will come or not. As things stand, parties nearest 

 the kennel have the best chance, and properly so. 

 Some people are as difficult to please about their 

 hunting as the soldier was about his flogging. 



Mr. Beckford appears to have been clear both of 

 subscribers, clubs, committees, and all the modern 

 paraphernalia of the chase, most likely paying every- 

 thing himself, and accommodating such sportsmen 

 as. chose to come to him on his own terms. At all 

 events his book is silent on the management of a 

 country, as it is called, though he makes a distinction 

 between managing a pack of hounds and hunting 

 them. On the former point he says : " Some art may 

 be necessary to make the most of the country that 

 you hunt. I would advise you not to draw the covers 

 near your house while you can find elsewhere ; it 

 will make them certain places to find in when you 

 go out late, or may otherwise be in want of them. 

 For the same reason, I would advise you not to hunt 

 those covers late in the season. They should not 

 be much disturbed after Christmas. Foxes will then 



