52 THE III NTING FIELD 



always near his hounds ; he ne\er gallops when he can trot, or 

 takes a leap when he can go through a gap. Old Will is sixty- 

 seven, but he is not older than most men at fifty. He has not 

 an ounce of superfluous flesh upon him, and is as equal to four 

 days a week as he was at twent}-. 



Will and his Whips are turned out as they should be. They 

 look as if they were going to ride across country instead of to 

 canter up and down Rotten Row after my lord or my lady. 

 We don't like to see dandified Huntsmen and Whips. Over- 

 dressed gentlemen are bad enough in the field, let us have no 

 over-dressed servants. Shooters always put on their stoutest 

 and worst things, wet or dr\-, wood or open ; but some fox- 

 hunters seem to think that only the best of everything will do 

 for hunting. Then, if the}' get to the meet in apple-pie order, 

 they don't care how soon after they spoil themselves, save and 

 except, and always reserved, the Muffs and Fribbleton Browns 

 who are going to lunch, with the Miss Cottonwools. They 

 don't care how soon they get awaj' after the pride of the meet 

 is over. 



Huntsmen and Whips should all wear caps. Nothing looks 

 so ugly as servants in hats. Strange that Lord Darlington, 

 who was painted by Marshall in the cap and spare stirrup- 

 leather of the Huntsman, should, in his ducal days, have put 

 his men in hats. Lord Lonsdale, too, had his in them latterly, 

 and very slow they looked. Hats should only be worn at 

 exercise. Modern times have introduced some frightful pro- 

 jections at the back of some hunting caps, like sheds thrown 

 out at the backs of lodges. On inquirj-, we found the}' were 

 meant to turn the wet off the wearer's back. The same 

 purpose would be answered by turning the cap peak backwards 

 in wet weather, as Tom Rounding used to do at a wet Epping 

 hunt. This would sa%'e the wearer's neck, and also the 

 disfigurement of an otherwise sporting and seeml}- article of 

 dress. The projections make caps look like barbers" basons. 



