158 nORSES AND HOUNDS. 



Mr. Smith's house, to the latter gentleman. Much angry dis- 

 cussion took place in consequence of this act. On one side it 

 was contended that Mr. Horlock had a right so to dispose of 

 those coverts, as being not necessary to the Craven hounds, and 

 seldom drawn by them ; on the other, that the Craven Club had 

 the sole right to dispose of the said coverts. The independent 

 representative of a subscription country has undoubtedly the 

 same powers as the sole master, and I should say his acts would 

 be binding upon his successors. Mr. Ward's successor main- 

 tained that he had a right to dispose of these coverts to Mr. 

 Assheton Smith; and his view of the case was confirmed by 

 the proprietors of them. It must be admitted that, unless 

 masters of hounds possessed certain discretionaiy powers of 

 giving or lending to other masters coverts which are not indis- 

 pensably necessary to the efficient maintenance of their own 

 hunt, half the hunting countries, as now established, would be 

 torn to pieces. There is no unfair aggression by one master 

 upon another in such a case as this, and no breach of fox- 

 hunting law. Fox-]iunters ought to assist each other as much 

 as possible, and contribute to the general amusement of the 

 country. No real injury has been done to the Craven country 

 by Mr. Assheton Smith's establishment, but, on the contrary, 

 much good. The large woodlands, which in Mr. Ward's time 

 were visited only occasionally by his hounds, are now regularly 

 hunted nearly once a week. Foxes fly, and afford good chases ; 

 such was not the case formerly. I can remember when JVIr. 

 Ward invited Sir John Cope to come down, at the end of the 

 season, and hunt some of these outlying woodlands; and proper 

 badgering work it was to get a fox away, even for a few fields. 

 In the month of April we were one whole day in CoUingbourne 

 Woods, with Sir John's rattlers, and did succeed at last in 

 killing a fox, but it was nearly dark before this feat was accom- 

 plished, and then not without some little stratagem. 



There are also coverts held on sufferance, which can be 

 reclaimed by the original hunt ; also neutral coverts, which are 

 drawn and stopped by two packs, by mutual consent. There is 

 also the privilege attached to some hunts, of having the earths 

 put to in the morning in some particular coverts belonging to 

 the neighbouring country ; but, as a general rule, no master of 

 hounds has a right to interfere with his neighbour's earths. It 

 has been assumed that, when a fox is running into another 

 country, and making his point for a well-known head of earths, 

 the whipper-in may get forward, and stop those earths ; but 1 

 cannot admit the justice of any such pretended law. A fox 

 found in one country, and running into another, generally 



