10 PRACTICAL HINTS FOR HUNTING NOVICES. 



the same two boys were out in charge of the same 

 coachman, and were trying as best they could to follow 

 hounds. One of the ponies would not jump, however, 

 and the coachman levelled two fences to the ground 

 before he could get his charges through. A day or two 

 later the Master received a bill for 155. from the tenant 

 farmer, " for repairing fences broken by their father 

 [the family coachman], for two young gentlemen who 

 did not dare to jump, and had no business to be out 

 hunting." The Master, being a good-natured man, at 

 once paid the damage, but when he had an opportunity 

 he spoke to the coachman, who remarked that he had 



seen him (the Master) do the same thing in forest 



a few weeks before, so he thought there was no harm 

 in his breaking the fences. 



The beginner's duty to the Master is in a great measure 

 wrapped up in his duty to foxhunting generally, but it is 

 most important that he should gradually discover 

 for himself what are the particular wishes of the Master 

 he hunts with. This is at times not very easily done, 

 for Masters vary so much, some being martinets, while 

 others are too easy-going. Some Masters there are 

 who encourage the children and give them plenty of 

 sound advice ; others take no notice of them, but are 

 quite content as long as the children do not put them- 

 selves unduly forward. All boys and girls should 

 cultivate an attitude of extreme respect to Masters of 

 hounds, and should — unless they know them well — 

 wait to be spoken to. Nor should they in the holidays 

 make a great noise among themselves when hounds 

 are drawing, or when they have checked. This is a very 

 important point, *for there are times in every hunting 



