282 THE OLD BERKS HUNT 



" Never you mind, my Lord. You come 

 along with me. The owner won't find fault 

 with us to-day," was the reply, " I've got 

 another bone to pick with you, Mr. Sharpe. 

 What do you mean by stopping up my favourite 

 gap down in the bottom yonder.'^" " Likes to 

 see the gentlemen in the air, my Lord ; likes 

 to see the o-entlemen in the air." He was 

 very good-natured, too, in meeting the wishes 

 of this section of his supporters in another 

 matter. Naturally, farmers who are up early 

 and do a good day's work round their farms 

 before the less busv followers of the chase are 

 out of bed, look with a kindly eye upon the 

 " Lawn meet," where adequate provision is 

 prepared for healthy appetites bred by country 

 air. At this period meets at houses became 

 very frequent. Indeed, the opinion was freely 

 expressed, " the proper way for the ' Old 

 Berks ' to hunt is to meet at one gentleman's 

 house and to leave off" at another." His lord- 

 ship's keenness for sport made him chafe a 

 little at the delay involved ; but nevertheless 

 he rather encouraged the practice, for he held 

 that it was good for the Hunt, as tending to 

 make it popular ; and good for the country, as 

 affording an opportunity for landlords and 

 farmers to meet under very pleasant circum- 

 stances. 



