COUNTING THE COST 281 



It is however advisable for a man who has 

 not a long purse to hunt at home. He will do it 

 at less trouble, he will not neglect his business, if 

 he has one, and thereby he will add to his plea- 

 sure ; and he will be more comfortable. And 

 unless his lines be cast in a very wild and 

 out-of-the-way place he will be able to get plenty 

 of hunting, especially if he occasionally uses the 

 railway as a covert hack. 



Of course there are many things which affect 

 a man's chances of hunting even if he should hunt 

 from home. It is just possible that hounds may 

 meet on one day of the week on which he is un- 

 avoidably detained on business, but that will be a 

 ver}' unusual occurrence though a very annoying 

 one if hounds meet in a good country. But 

 taking it on the whole masters of hounds carefully 

 avoid hunting on these ' busy days ' when they 

 possibly can do so, and if such an untoward 

 circumstance should arise the sportsman may 

 rest satisfied that there will be plenty of 

 hunting within his reach for the rest of the 

 week. 



There are plenty of places in the provinces 

 whence hounds are reachable every day in the 

 week, especially if Harriers or Staghounds are 

 included. And here I would say a word to the 

 novice. Let him decline neither when they 

 come in his way. He will be told about the 

 cruelty of hunting the carted deer. It is sheer 

 nonsense. Macaulay tells us of the *' Puritan 

 who hated bear-baiting not because it gave pain 



