102 UNASKED ADVICE. 



caught, when the hounds tell their opinion of the whole 

 thing pretty unmistakably, as they won't eat him, unless 

 they are used to bagmen ; then they may not show their 

 disgust quite so openly. But very few packs, it is to be 

 hoped, answer to this description. 



I have hunted in countries where the keeper sent in 

 regular bills so much for a litter of cubs (their existence, 

 that is), so much for each find, &c. ; and probably, had 

 this black mail been done away with, the finds would 

 have been like angels' visits. A keeper who has shown 

 foxes through a season deserves a recognition of his 

 services at the end of it, as foxes of course do some mis- 

 chief to game, and there is often further trouble caused 

 by earth-stopping, and so on. Yet it seems more 

 according to the fitness of things that this recognition 

 should be the spontaneous act of the M.F.H. than a right 

 claimed by the keeper ; besides, in the first case, the 

 matter will not impossibly receive more attention. There 

 is no doubt that the keepers are the most important class 

 of men in any hunt, but a little diplomacy will do wonders 

 among them. 



Next to the keepers come their masters for really I 

 think in many cases the owner of the coverts plays but a 

 secondary part as far as the preservation of foxes is 

 concerned. He says, " I must have game ;" the M.F.H., 

 " I wish for foxes ;" and the keeper provides what he 

 chooses of either or both. Yulpecides are of different 

 degrees. Some, while speaking fairly enough to fox- 

 hunters, tell their keepers they don't want too many 

 foxes ; others say nothing, but their wishes are under- 

 stood ; whilst others give the order " Kill and destroy." 

 But even the latter don't confess their crime. In fact, I 

 don't think that there exist three men in the United 



