2 12 THE MASTER OF HOUNDS 



wrong impression is of little moment ; but it appears 

 that many Masters of Hounds have formed the same 

 wrong impression and think that the huntsman secures 

 a large income out of the tips. 



I am now going to ride over treacherous ground. 

 If I fall, it will be my own fault. Scott never uttered 

 a syllable to me against the generosity of the Albrighton 

 hunting-men. On the contrary, he spoke in grateful 

 terms of their generosity, and compared them favourably 

 with the members of other Hunts. Now, so far as I have 

 been able to ascertain, the perquisites of a huntsman 

 do not amount to the same value as the perquisites of a 

 fifth-rate gamekeeper, or, rather, those of a gamekeeper 

 on a fifth-rate estate. Thus, a paper-money tip is an 

 unknown quantity with the huntsman in the provinces, 

 while half-sovereigns, themselves rare, are more common 

 than sovereigns. Certainly, I have not heard of any 

 case where a man has had the imprudence or ignorance 

 to offer a huntsman silver money. Now, excepting 

 the three recognised tips — namely, a sovereign to a 

 huntsman for the brush, half a sovereign to the first 

 whipper-in for the mask, and five shillings to the second 

 whipper-in for a pad — there is no necessity for a follower 

 of hounds to tip the Hunt servants. If I give a head- 

 gamekeeper a ten-pound note, I expect to be placed in 

 the best position in the drive ; but, if I were to give a 

 huntsman a thousand pounds, he could not place me 

 in the first flight ; and, even if he could, he could not 

 guarantee that I should maintain the position. At all 

 events, he would be very foolish if he made a bet on 

 the result. Still, there are many other ways in which 



