128 Seventy Years a Master, 



mistake for a Master of Hounds to *' blow up " 

 about anything and everything. I am afraid 

 that in my happy days of hunting I was Hke 

 my hounds, very fond of "throwing my 

 tongue," but an unkind word spoken while 

 hunting meant very little with me, and I have 

 many many times deeply lamented my hasty 

 words, although at the time I could not for 

 the life of me help it. 



To discountenance unfair riding in the 

 field, or unnecessarily injuring fences, is also 

 a duty that a Master owes to the farmers. 

 And it cannot be expected that farmers will 

 preserve foxes if they are to be seriously 

 injured by them ; thus all claims made by them 

 should be placed in the hands of some respon- 

 sible person who can ascertain the real 

 damage done ; and I always found that the 

 farmers are a real good set of fellows, who 

 would not dream of putting in an unjust 

 claim. 



And now that I have been careful to insist 

 upon courtesy and fair treatment for those to 

 whom we owe so much, may I express the 



