109 



The increased interest which the present generation 

 now takes in hunting, apart from the pleasures of riding, 

 is a healthy sign, and a hopeful promise for sport in 

 days to come. In spite of the gloomy pessimists who can 

 see only bright spots in the past, and an end to hunting 

 altogether in the near future, it seems to me that fox- 

 hunting is every day estabUshing a jQrmer hold in the 

 country. Of course, there always will be, as there have 

 been in the past, a few miserable cranks who " compound 

 with sins they are inchned to by damning those they 

 have no mind to," and, having no love of sport, wish to 

 deny others any pleasure therein. 



These selfish individuals usually base their complaints 

 on humane grounds, but as a rule they have no love for 

 animals, and are generalJy of the kind that would kick 

 a dog if it got in their way. 



Although Mr. Osbaldeston gave Meltonians a very bad 

 character in his day, there was a marked improvement 

 later on, and from 1880 up to the outbreak of v/ar the 

 fields attending Quorn, Cottesmore and the Belvoir were 

 the most orderly in the country. Melton, as of yore, still 

 attracted the hardest riders, and the spirit of com- 

 petition was not altogether absent, but as a rule a word 

 of warning from the master was generally sufficient to 

 curb the most exuberant. The diihculty was, as it was 

 bound to be, that the master could only be in one place 

 at once, and with a big field, although he would be able 

 to control one flank, he would be too far away to have 

 any influence on the other. It does sometimes happen, 

 then, that those who are old enough to know better, find- 

 ing themselves beyond the sphere of authority, behave 

 hke irresponsible boys. A little reflection would convince 

 them that the master has no desire to limit their pleasure, 

 and the orders he gives are for their ultimate benefit. 



