14 HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS. 



ment. Master, field and farmers are ever ready 

 to welcome a stranger, who shows that he can 

 share their sport with a true sportsman's 

 pleasure. Sometimes, unfortunately, this hos- 

 pitable feeling is abused by people who construe 

 the liberty and equality of the hunting field as 

 meaning free and equal right to damage the 

 crops and fences of those over whose land they 

 are permitted to ride, for which offence they 

 would never dream of offering either apology or 

 reparation. It was either with the Essex 

 Union or a neighbouring hunt that one gentle- 

 man, having pursued his pleasure for a very 

 considerable period without cost to himself, took 

 it as a great offence that he should be asked for 

 a subscription at last, replying, " I do not see 

 what I am to subscribe for ; I do not put tTie 

 hounds to any expense." The Saturday's 

 fixtures of the Essex Union are especially 

 favoured by gentlemen of this order, who take 

 advantage of the fact that the place of meeting 

 on that day is fixed for the convenience of the 

 London contingent, among which are numbered 

 many of the staunchest supporters of hunting in 

 Essex. It was a motley crowd which the 

 Master found assembled to greet him at Heron 

 Gate the first open Saturday after long frost. 

 Cavalry from Colchester; Staff Officers from 

 Warley, endeavouring to brighten the weariness 

 of depot duty by intervals of companionship 

 with civilisation ; nondescript followers from 

 town ; and a score of unknown but well mounted 

 men from some distant quarters almost swamped 

 the local contingent, and set at nought the 



