48 



without offence to those who are taking the field for the 

 first time. 



Horses suitable to the country have to be purchased 

 and sufficient to hunt the number of days desired, but 

 before launching out in expensive horseflesh and thereby 

 deplenishing the exchequer, subscriptions should be the 

 initial outlay. Unfortunately, subscriptions are fre- 

 quently the last item to be thought of and in consequence 

 other expenses having been larger than expected, the 

 hunt funds have to suffer. A man should not think how 

 little he can give, but how much. Whatever he pays he 

 will be hunting more or less at the expense of the master. 

 The custom of sending the hunt secretary his cheque in 

 the middle of the ssason, or even still later, has of late 

 years grown into a habit. With the majority of people 

 this is only slackness, but it is quite wrong, as subscrip- 

 tions are due on November the First, and should be 

 promptly paid. Some old members of the hunt are often 

 the worst offenders, but their dilatory payments do not 

 excuse the newcomer from following suit. It is not a 

 pleasant thing for a secretary to have to dun an acquaint- 

 ance whom he is continually meeting in the hunting field. 

 I dislike dwelling on this crude subject of money in 

 XI hunting article, but if a hunt is to be run on proper 

 lines, the management must know what funds they will 

 have to carry on with, and it is only by prompt payment 

 of claims that things will go smoothly. 



Now let us get on to the covert side, and wash out the 

 meet, which, however, it is as well to attend punctually 

 because that is the time when you may be allowed to wag 

 your tongue. If you intend to be in the first flight — 

 •everyone means to get there — you must cut out conversa- 

 tion the moment hounds enter the covert. Eyes and 

 ears should be on the alert for the first signal of " gone 



