28o THE COMPLETE HORSEMAN 



The result was that the man, who was a really 

 good man when kept up to his work, stayed with 

 me two years longer and left to get married. I 

 was very much amused when I accidentally 

 overheard him telling a fellow-servant that he had 

 no idea the master could strap a horse 'Mike 

 that." 



Roughly speaking, a couple of hunters can be 

 kept for about £120 to £140 per annum — the 

 cost will fluctuate between the two. It must 

 be remembered that there are many inciden- 

 tal expenses — saddler, blacksmith, veterinary 

 surgeon, etc., as well as the mere cost of the 

 horses' keep and the man's wages. But even if it 

 approximates closely on the larger of the sums 

 it is difficult to find a sport where you can get 

 so much fun for your money as you can in 

 hunting. Certainly there is none that I am 

 aware of in which can be found such '' infinite 

 variety." So it is an absurdity to say that 

 hunting is a sport for the rich man and for the 

 rich man only. Of course if a man goes into a 

 fashionable country and does as the fashionable 

 people in a fashionable country do it will cost 

 him a pretty penny. But there is as good sport 

 to be had in an unfashionable country as in a 

 fashionable one. There is no royal road to fox- 

 hunting, and I know of m.any centres from which 

 very excellent sport can be seen, in which the 

 prohibitive prices of the Shires are not met with 

 and where a visitor for the hunting season would 

 receive a heart}^ and hospitable welcome. 



