MODERN FOX-HUNTING 5 



There are numerous objections to the revival of the 

 " capping " system, which for a few moments I wish 

 to discuss dispassionately. In the first place, it has 

 always been the favourite accusation of our enemies 

 that hunting is essentially the sport of the wealthy 

 man. I have always, since I first wrote about sport, 

 protested strongly against the opinion that hunting 

 was confined to the wealthy classes, and to that 

 opinion I adhere. Now, if you are able to enforce this 

 " cap " of £2, you will exclude many genuine sports- 

 men with limited incomes from the hunting-field. You 

 exclude the " one day a week man," who subscribes 

 his £10 or ;^i5, and does little damage to the land over 

 which he rides ; but can you exclude the stranger, 

 who is intent upon getting his sport without paying for 

 it ? And who are to be the " capping excisemen " ? 

 When " capping " was practised fifty years ago, the 

 duty of collecting the " cap " devolved upon the Hunt 

 servants and the Hunt secretary, and was invariably 

 performed at the meet, before hounds moved off to 

 draw the first covert. In those days a liberal latitude 

 was given at the meet for coffee-housing, and it was 

 easy to distinguish the stranger. Now we do not speak 

 of meets, but call them " hunting fixtures," and we can 

 generally judge by the fixture the coverts that will be 

 drawn. Thus, the peripatetic fox-poacher will be first 

 seen at covert-side, where the Hunt servants have to 

 devote their attention to hounds and can afford no 

 time for discovering non-subscribing delinquents. 

 Who, then, are to discover these delinquents ? Are 

 the members of the Hunt Committee to ride up to 



