xviii THE COMPLETE FOXHUNTER 



each subscription ? Will you also give locality of each 

 pack, and say where horses can be hired, and at what 

 price? And will you give some particulars as to the 

 society in some of the hunting places, stating especially 

 at which places golf can be obtained as well?" But 

 perhaps the most extraordinary amount of ignorance 

 is contained in the following letter : — 



"I have lately bought half a dozen horses at the 

 sale of a bankrupt mineral-water maker, and friends 

 tell me there is a good opening if I take a hunting 

 stable. Will you please give me information as to 

 where would be the best place to go to, but it must be 

 where I could rent a stable cheap. I think the horses 

 look like hunting. Two of them are handsome, or 

 will be when the collar marks have worn off. Those 

 I would call special hunters, and charge more for. 

 The others I would let to ladies or old gentlemen. 

 Please say what I should be paid per day per horse, 

 and mind you tell me of a place where I would be able 

 to let my horses most days. I thought 25s. for the 

 special horses and £1 for the others would do, for then 

 each horse might earn ;^5 or £6 a week if trade was 

 good. I shall be much obliged if you will answer my 

 questions, and also tell me anything which may occur 

 to you that would help me." 



Such a letter, of course, looked like a practical joke, 

 but, as it happened, opportunity of testing the genuine- 

 ness of the document was forthcoming, and it was 

 ascertained beyond doubt that the man had written in 

 perfectly good faith, having, on the advice of a friend 

 — whose hunting knowledge was about equal to his 

 own — bought the horses for a trifling sum, having 



