66 



devote his whole Hfe to looking after a hunt's affairs, and 

 at the same time pay a considerable sum for its support. 



Where it is possible to find such generous individuals 

 to come forward and bear our burdens, there is no 

 reason to make any change if the results are satisfactory. 

 If, however, we are content to accept his money, or 

 rather, the sport it provides, we have no right to find 

 fault or criticise his methods, even if we do not approve. 

 To hunt even partially at the master's expense and then 

 ask him to resign seems a very uncourteous proceeding, 

 and yet if his manner of conducting the sport is unsatis- 

 factory, what else can be done ? With a paid master 

 there would be no difficulty of that sort and the commit- 

 tee would have no qualms in finding fault should the 

 occasion arise, or in giving notice to leave. Of course, 

 the right man would have to be carefully selected, but 

 there are hundreds of good sportsmen without the 

 means to hunt regularly who would jump at the chance. 

 The two chief qualifications would be that he was a 

 gentleman and a good sportsman, which, with the 

 abihty and nerve to ride across country, vv^ould be about 

 all that was required. 



Preference would be given to those candidates with 

 experience of country hfe, a general knowledge of crops, 

 and an acquaintance with the farmers' point of view. 

 The master who does not know one crop from another is 

 rather handicapped when, in the laudable attempt at 

 saving a field from being ridden over, he has not the 

 faintest idea of what is growing there. In selecting a 

 paid master there would be no hesitation in a catechism 

 on such small points, but it would be rather insulting if 

 put to the unpaid. 



Whilst men are to be found sufficiently keen and with 

 the public spirit to devote practically their whole time 



