134 THE COMPLETE FOXHUNTER 



travelled to a meet by train with this worthy, and when 

 our horses were boxed, an out-of-place groom who had 

 assisted at the boxing slipped into the box with them. 

 On arriving at the little station where the unboxing 

 took place, this man stole away, and some time later 

 our friend discovered that both his holster flasks were 

 empty. He was very irate for a moment, and then, 

 diving his hand into an inside pocket of his coat, pro- 

 duced a third fairly large flask, with the words, ** Thank 

 God, I still have the old brandy safe." 



But a man who handicaps himself with all this 

 luggage must be uncomfortable, and when the field 

 know that a sort of riding " stores " is in their midst he 

 will be bothered all day long for something or other. 

 To the eccentric of a certain bent of mind no doubt it 

 is amusing to go out as the White Knight in Alice in 

 Wonderland, but the beginner need take nothing more 

 than a sandwich case and flask, fastened to his saddle, 

 and as little as possible in his pockets. Watch, small 

 change (both silver and copper), and a handkerchief are 

 all that a hunting man must carry, though a knife 

 is often useful enough. Spurs should be of the best 

 quality, and not too small, but the rowels are quite 

 unnecessary with every one who is not a skilled horse- 

 man, and in the habit of " breaking " young horses, and 

 they should either be filed to bluntness or removed 

 altogether, or threepenny pieces may be substituted, if 

 the shell is big enough for them to be enclosed without 

 looking conspicuous. A clumsy crop is an ugly thing, 

 and perhaps there is no accessory of hunting with 

 which it is so easy to go wrong. Indeed, a very cheap 

 hunting whip is almost sure to be bad, unless it is an 

 ash plant, and it is better in the long run to buy good 

 crops from a first-rate maker than to procure the cheap 



