THE MASTER'S EXPENSES 131 



Masters, I am aware, favour it very strongly, holding 

 that it encourages the keeper always to show a fox. 

 The system has always seemed to me to work unfairly 

 for the small people, and this is, I think, easily ex- 

 plained. There will always be such small holdings, 

 with perhaps one or two coverts that face north or 

 are otherwise unfavourable. Although, however, these 

 may hardly ever hold a fox when drawn, it is quite 

 possible, if not indeed probable, that a litter was bred 

 in the little place. The foxes would always frequent 

 the bigger covert with its game and shelter, and thus it 

 comes about that hounds find in the big covert, and 

 the keeper, though none too friendly, pockets the 

 "find" money. This is obviously unfair, for the poor 

 " little man," though he had all the bother of the litter, 

 nursing it as well as lay in his power to do, reaps no 

 benefit, as hounds invariably find in his richer neigh- 

 bour's wood. I must frankly admit that our own plan 

 of paying by acreage is likewise open to the criticism 

 that there may be a good deal more earth-stopping on 

 a small property than on a larger one, particularly in 

 the way of rabbit holes in banks, odd, out-of-the-way 

 drains, old culverts, and such places of the kind as need 

 special attention whenever hounds come into the 

 neighbourhood. Moreover, it may easily happen that 

 the small place lies in a district which is, from its 

 convenient position or sporting character, visited on 

 an average once a fortnight throughout the season, 

 whereas hounds might not draw the coverts on the 

 bigger estate once in six weeks. There should always be 

 a dinner with the Master present, and never otherwise, 



