HOW NOT TO DO IT 155 



the heavy man does not do. How is it that in 

 the big runs — the runs that make history — the 

 heavy weights — by which I of course do not mean 

 the sixteen and seventeen stone division, but the 

 thirteen and fourteen stone men — almost invariably 

 beat the light weights ? It is not that they can 

 crush through a bullfinch which would hold the 

 nine-stone man, for these occur but seldom in a 

 run, and are besides only found in some countries. 

 It is because the heavy man generally rides with 

 more discretion, does no unnecessary galloping 

 about, and does not take the liberties with a horse 

 that his lighter friend seldom fails to do. It is the 

 light man generally who rides over the softest 

 ground, regardless of consequences, and it is on the 

 softest ground that the damage is done. As for the 

 second horsemen, Lord Lonsdale and other Masters 

 of Hounds have taught us how to deal with them. 

 Roughly, the plan of subscribing so much per 

 horse, or so much per day per week, has a good 

 deal to commend it, and it is practically acted 

 upon by a great proportion of the rank and file 

 of hunting men in assessing their subscriptions ; 

 but as a hard-and-fast rule it would never do. 

 To begin with, the man who felt himself bound 

 under such a stringent rule would undoubtedly 

 feel inclined to insist upon certain rights in return, 

 and a good deal of the pleasantness which at 

 present exists between the Master and Secretary 

 and the members of a hunt would, at any rate, be 

 endangered, whilst it is by no means certain that 

 the funds would benefit to any considerable extent. 

 For example, a man might be asked point blank 

 for a ^50 subscription, who under the present 

 state of things would have gladly given £100. 



