no THE COMPLETE FOXHUNTER 



counts. Then, again, there is the puppy show, the 

 expense of which is almost invariably borne by the 

 master, and the cost of which — prizes and luncheon to 

 two or three hundred — often amounts to i^ioo. 



In many hunts the master is guaranteed so much, but 

 when this arrangement is made it, as a general rule, 

 means that the various funds are kept separate from 

 the hunt accounts, and the master has nothing to do 

 with them. Thus a master may be guaranteed ;^I500 

 or i^2000 per annum. But this is very often only sup- 

 posed to absolve the field from liability in the matters 

 of maintenance of horses and hounds, wages, clothes 

 for the men, and expenses which belong to the kennels 

 and stables. Sometimes there is rent of kennels to be 

 paid, and this may or may not be included in what 

 the master is liable for, the rent being generally made 

 a matter of arrangement. At one time in subscription 

 packs it was a general custom to give every penny 

 which was subscribed to the master, who then had to 

 pay everything, but as the extra expenses of the hunt 

 increased it was found that this was impossible, many 

 masters, though willing to take over all liabilities in 

 connection with maintenance, being unable to pay all 

 the extra charges as well. 



As far as can be gathered the poultry bill was the 

 first "extra" which came to be considered as beyond the 

 ordinary expenses of mastership, and much about the 

 same time a custom grew up in many countries of 

 members of the hunt sharing amongst them the rent 

 of coverts. This custom is at least sixty years 

 old, and readers of Surtees' works will recall how at 

 Sir Moses Mainchance's hunt dinner the rent of a 

 covert was foisted on to Billy Pringle by Mr. Smoothley, 

 " the jackal of the hunt." And to this day the custom 



