FOX-HUNTING AND WARFARE 323 



found one good horseman they have seen nineteen 

 that knew nothing whatever about it. This, in 

 comparison with Boer statistics, is not altogether 

 satisfactory, for in their case we know there is an 

 army of between 70,000 and 80,000 men that can 

 all ride well enough to at least keep out of danger. 

 Is it that free trade has so changed the country as 

 to have barred the farmers' sons who used to ride 

 so well from joining in the enjoyments of their 

 ancestors ? and the youths of the present generation 

 have gone into the cities and towns, where they 

 have exchanged the horse for the bicycle ? Some 

 good may come out of the present war in directing 

 the attention of the nation to its riding qualifications, 

 as lessons have been given already that mounted 

 infantry and cavalry must be our main source of 

 defence in case of future need. 



" Now every profession has been blessed by fine 

 riders, the army more extensively than any other, 

 and this is not very surprising considering that the 

 officers are mostly drawn from the hunting families 

 of England. Eight Grand Nationals have been won 

 under men in the Service, and although the navy 

 has not yet provided a winner it has not been for 

 want of the right material, as no man ever went 

 better over a country than Admiral Sir Harry 

 Keppel, and a contemporary of his was Admiral 

 Sir Maurice Berkeley, seventh Lord Fitzhardinge, 

 and a very famous man to hounds. Then there was 

 a Captain Sicklemore terribly hard to beat, often 



