JOINING A HUNT. 321 



of chance visitors who would like to make a convenience 

 of the hunt without giving an adequate return. The object 

 for thus penalising them is more to keep down the size of 

 the field, than to get money for the hunt. In olden times, 

 when communication was difficult, this necessity did not 

 exist ; and besides, those who then joined " the glad throng " 

 were almost all residents, and helped the sport in one 

 way or the other. The onh^ people who have an absolute 



Fig. 223. A second season cut-and-laid hedge, about 4 ft. high. 



right to join in a hunt, apart from the question of 

 subscribing, are those who own or rent land in that country. 

 If a one or two horse man who lived in the district of a 

 fashionable subscription pack and who was not well off, 

 desired to ask for a reduction, his best course would be to 

 meet the Master or Secretary, and explain matters. He 

 would probably receive the concession of being allowed to 

 subscribe ;^io for one horse or ^^15 for two, and he would 

 be well advised to make the offer of walking a couple of 

 puppies, supposing that he was willing to take the trouble 



21 



