I02 THE COMPLETE FOXHUNTER 



grooms are obliging enough, and will hold a gate for 

 those coming behind them, or will assist any one 

 at an emergency, but others are simply an un- 

 mitigated nuisance, as those who have suffered from 

 the wild career of a galloping groom have often found 

 out to their cost. 



One season a whole field suffered from the pranks of 

 a lady's groom, who came out day after day, in attend- 

 ance on his mistress, mounted on the family brougham 

 horse. The man had no manners, and the horse, 

 though probably excellent in harness, was quite out of 

 place in the hunting field. He was a great, strong, 

 underbred brute with a will of his own (when out with 

 hounds) and a mouth like iron. As soon as hounds 

 found and an era of galloping set in, he took charge of 

 his rider, and went very much where he liked. How 

 he managed to escape the notice of the master was a 

 mystery, but the field was nearly always large, and 

 somehow the groom succeeded in keeping out of the 

 master's way. The girl was "spoken to," but her 

 ignorance of hunting was only equalled by her love of 

 a gallop, and she merely replied that her father would 

 not let her go out without a man, and that as no other 

 man or horse was available she was obliged to bring 

 the pair. That settled it as far as she was con- 

 cerned. 



And as regards ladies' subscriptions, we know that 

 we are on delicate ground, but the fact is that in many 

 countries some ladies who hunt just as many days as 

 men do, do not pay at so high a rate, and seem to be 

 quite unaware that they ought to do so. This has 

 been pointed out to us, with the necessary proof of 

 many lists of subscribers, and we have little hesitation 

 in writing that, taking the country generally, the aver- 



