THE MASTER OF HOUNDS 95 



At the moment, however, our business is with the 

 relations of the master to the over-rider, and it cannot 

 be too gravely submitted that each and every master of 

 hounds in the kingdom owes it as a duty, not only to 

 himself and his field, but to the whole foxhunting com- 

 munity of the kingdom, to put down this most serious 

 menace to the sport. In some countries over-riding has 

 become so common a thing that on nearly every hunt- 

 ing day the sport suffers in some degree, while on 

 others — those of catchy scent, no doubt — it is completely 

 spoilt. Possibly some of our readers may think that 

 our remarks take too gloomy a view of the subject, and 

 where there is little or no over-riding it may indeed be 

 difficult to conceive that want of discipline and insub- 

 ordination are quite common in some hunting fields. 



But we do not speak without the book, and have had 

 for some years past an overwhelming mass of evidence 

 on the subject — evidence gained at first hand through 

 having witnessed serious over-riding and having 

 noticed how the sport suffered in consequence, and 

 evidence at second hand from many masters of hounds 

 who have been victimised. And if the weekly accounts 

 of sport which are published in the Field a.ve regularly 

 studied, no one can possibly help being aware of the 

 frequent complaints which are made, more especially 

 from the Midlands. Many of the correspondents, 

 doubtless anxious to give no offence, and perhaps un- 

 willing to paint the picture as dark as it really is, make 

 references to what is almost a daily occurrence in terms 

 that are very mild. We are told that "a check took 

 place, for which possibly emulation among the first 

 flight was in some degree responsible," or we read that 

 '* the pace dropped to slower hunting, and the master 

 realising that an impetuous field was giving hounds 



