Abolition of " Capping r 103 



to have sufifered the Whipper-in rudely to 

 have checked it ! " 



May I, before concluding this chapter, say a 

 word about the old custom of ^' capping " ? 1 

 must say that in my opinion it is a great im- 

 provement to fox-hunting to have done away 

 with the custom of capping for the huntsman 

 when he had killed, or marked his fox to the 

 ground, as to a certain extent it has finished 

 the days of the " bagman." Capping was 

 putting temptation in the huntsman's way, as 

 he could buy a fox for £1, and if he was lucky 

 and did happen to get a gallop, it meant 

 about £3 in his pocket. Again, it would 

 encourage keepers to destroy foxes ; they 

 would see their coverts drawn, and a find 

 to them perhaps every time they came. What 

 did they care about preserving the wild 

 animals ? They got their *' find " money, and 

 Mr. Huntsman got paid well for his work. 

 But those days have gone, and the ^vild 

 animal has now taken the place of the 

 " bagman," thanks to the sporting covert 

 owners. 



