WHERE TO HUNT. 47 



and willing to subscribe and hunt with a fashionable 

 pack, and he may be so situated as to be within easy 

 reach of several such packs. To all, however, one 

 piece of advice may be given, viz., that they choose 

 some small, unfashionable country in which to disport 

 themselves at first, so that they may pick up experience 

 before they (metaphorically) fly at higher game. A 

 beginner should never go where fields are really large — 

 firstly, because he will be in such a crowd that he will 

 probably find himself unable to see anything of the 

 sport, and, secondly, because he will have so many 

 bad examples before him. It is a sad thing to have 

 to say, but it is none the less true, that in all big fields 

 of the present day there is far too much " riot " on 

 the part of the followers, and that the worst offenders 

 are often men and women who when they do wrong 

 must be perfectly aware that they are giving cause for 

 offence. 



In some hunts the continual getting forward 

 and the constant overriding of hounds are little short 

 of a scandal, and this is proved by the fact that nowa- 

 days so many Masters find it necessary to issue 

 strong remonstrance to their fields, sometimes verbally, 

 but generally in the form of a written appeal, which is 

 published in local newspapers or sent to the members 

 of the hunt. This, unfortunately, being the case, 

 it stands to reason that the novice must not learn his 

 first lessons of foxhunting in such company, for, if he 

 does, and he ever goes amongst a smaller field of real 

 sportsmen, he will be quickly undeceived. I once 

 had a " week-end " in Leicestershire, which included 

 a day with the Belvoir on Saturday and a day with the 



