138 THE FINEST SPORT 



pride of place, and If I do so It Is, perhaps, 

 really only because I have not tasted Its 

 delights for three whole seasons. I will, 

 however, make It this amends, that I un- 

 doubtlngly place It at the head of English 

 sport. 



Before proceeding to examine It by the 

 canons I have already laid down I will add 

 one to their number, and that is that a 

 certain risk of life or limb Is necessary to 

 give flavour to sport ; and that a certain risk, 

 although If we are guided by averages It Is 

 an infinitesimal one, we have In fox-huntlno-.i 

 But does It fulfil the others ? In its original 



^ Assuming that there are 160 packs of foxhounds in 

 England, that an average " field " with each pack is 40, and 

 that the average number of hunting days is 50 (all low 

 enough surely), we get 320,000 people fox-hunting during the 

 season. What is the proportion of fatal fox-hunting 

 accidents, and that of other accidents to this undeniable 

 underestimate ? 



