86 THE COMPLETE FOXHUNTER 



But the times have changed all over the kingdom. 

 Much of the land has changed hands ; many of the 

 old hunting families have disappeared, and probably 

 the ranks of hunting farmers are far thinner than 

 they once were. Yet in spite of this there has been 

 a huge increase in the size of "fields," and as many 

 of the new-comers commence their hunting in a happy 

 state of ignorance as to how the sport is or should 

 be conducted, it follows of necessity that the master's 

 task is not always the simple one which it once was, 

 and therefore that, when the master is not present, 

 there should always be a field master. But most im- 

 portant of all is it that there should be a field master 

 when the master is his own huntsman. In such cases 

 it is almost imperative that the field should be placed 

 under the charge of some responsible man. We have 

 used the word almost advisedly, because we do know 

 of a country, in which fields vary from fifty to a 

 hundred riders, where the master carries the horn, 

 where there is no field master, and yet where matters 

 have worked perfectly smoothly for many years past. 

 The case referred to is, however, in all probability an 

 exceptional one, for though the hunt is a smart one, a 

 huge majority of its members were broken to hunting 

 in childhood, and the master has a certain peculiar 

 individuality which seems to control his field when 

 he is out of sight, with the result that riot or mischief 

 among the riders is almost unknown. 



And here it may be stated that when we write of 

 many of the new-comers to a hunting field being 

 ignorant as to the sport they are attempting we have 

 no desire or any intention of being invidious. We 

 are merely stating a fact about which there can be no 

 dispute. If a man or a woman takes to hunting after 



