13^ Otters and Otter- Hunting. 



the gate as a sign to them when they arrive to leave 

 it as they find it. 



Although sportswomen as a rule are capable of 

 looking after themselves and of negotiating most of 

 the obstacles they encounter — many of them, indeed, 

 in these days resent proffered assistance — yet it is 

 well to help ladies over very bad places, and especi- 

 ally where there is barbed wire. Bad language, by 

 the way, is nowadays entirely out of place in the 

 hunting-field, but if there is anything that calls for 

 its employment it is barbed wire, and a heartily- 

 bestowed curse directed at the owner or occupier 

 who permits it to be erected on his land is most 

 unlikely to "come home to roost." It has been 

 proved to be by no means a necessity of successful 

 agriculture, and its continuance in general use is a 

 serious slur upon the legislative capacity of the High 

 Court of Parliament. It is the friend of the 

 poacher, the lazy and incompetent proprietor or 

 tenant, and of the shiftless and useless section of 

 rural society generally : it is the enemy of sport, 

 good farming, successful horse and stock rearing, 

 wild nature, and of all that is sound and decent 

 in country life. 



I have not said much, except incidentally, as to 

 the duties of the Field-Master to a pack of Otter- 

 hounds, the fact being that if he occupies himself 

 in seeing that followers are carefully observing all 



