6o THE COMPLETE FOXHUNTER 



the present generation to have the same thoughts 

 and ideas as the last. It may not be generally 

 remembered, but it is the case that in the early 

 seventies trade was wonderfully good all over the 

 country, and these ''good times" lasted for several 

 years. And one of the chief consequences of the 

 good trade was that there was a rush to the country 

 on the part of thousands of townsfolk. Some bought 

 estates, others rented them. Some again bought 

 houses without land, and others bought land and 

 built houses for themselves. Since that time the 

 exodus has continued, and it is not only London but 

 all the big residential centres which have sent hun- 

 dreds of new-comers into the heart of the country. 

 Some small proportion — really only a very small 

 proportion when one compares the size of the fields 

 of thirty-five years ago with those of the present day 

 — of these new-comers took to hunting, and the 

 second generation of the earlier new-comers (which 

 forms part of the rising generation of the present 

 day) has followed on, but, nevertheless, the fact 

 remains that at this moment there are scores and 

 scores of well-to-do people living in the country who 

 neither know nor care anything about hunting, and 

 that being so it is little wonder that a mastership of 

 hounds is not held in the high estimation that it 

 ought to be. 



We do not wish to labour the case, however ; and to 

 get on to the master's position and duties, it may be 

 pointed out that the office of master must vary greatly 

 according to circumstances. Thus for the Shire packs 

 it is no easy matter to secure the right man, especially 

 for the Quorn, the mastership of which hunt is by many 

 thought to be the very highest honour to which a 



