THE MASTER'S EXPENSES 113 



kennel washing and all the upkeep of the men's bed- 

 room and messroom. There are a thousand and one 

 little matters for which the huntsman is more or less 

 directly responsible, and these go down in his petty 

 account. 



Repairs and Miscellaneous. — Here, again, as the head- 

 ing denotes, is a composite source of expense that, 

 however, means a good deal to the Master, particularly 

 after his first year, and when the freshness of things 

 begins to wear off. The tax may be a heavy or light 

 one, according to the terms on which he occupies his 

 kennels. In my own case, I was regarded as an 

 ordinary tenant, and I had to keep the premises in 

 ordinary tenantable repair. It will thus be easily 

 understood that the first year, when everything was 

 new and in good condition, my expenses under this 

 head came to an only nominal sum, such as, if I 

 remember right, the cost of a little whitewashing, 

 disinfecting, or distempering walls, jointly a matter 

 of a few pounds only. 



The second year, however, brought a not unexpected 

 increase in this expenditure, for there was a deal of 

 painting to be done. There was also another and a 

 heavier item in the shape of a deep cemented tank, or 

 pit, which I made to bury the offal in. This I regard 

 as so important and so well worth the extra expense 

 that I shall say more of it later. 



Repairs mounted in cost year by year, for during the 

 next two or three years I had to replace the stable and 

 kennel doors and to put in a new boiler. For repairs 

 alone, then, I put down an average of £^0 a year. 



H 



