162 THE SPORT OF KINGS 



owns a little land in one hunt, and a little land 

 in another. On both these small estates there is 

 a fox covert well looked after ; his tenants send 

 in no poultry bills ; they have no wire on their 

 farms, and they do everything to second him in 

 his efforts to provide sport for his friends. Circum- 

 stances compel him to hunt with other hounds than 

 those in whose countries his coverts are situate, and 

 he subscribes to the pack he hunts with. Should 

 he be on a visit to a friend in some fourth country, 

 it would, in my opinion, be not only inhospi- 

 table, but grossly unfair to ask him for a heavy 

 " cap," nor would it tend to the benefit of fox- 

 hunting. 



Yet I am an advocate for "capping" if 

 judiciously gone about. But the amount asked 

 for should be small, and I would ask every one for 

 it except the farmers, whether they were members 

 of the hunt or not. This plan is adopted in 

 Ireland, where 2s. 6d. is demanded from each man 

 who goes out, and is cheerfully paid. Farmers, of 

 course, are exempt, but no one else, whatever may 

 be his station. A considerable sum of money is 

 thus realised ; a four-days-a-week country would, 

 allowing for a month's frost, make £1000, with an 

 average of 100 out per day, which is not a very 

 large one in these days. 



And then there is another phase of the question. 

 If you ask a man who goes out on horseback 

 for 2s. 6d., should you let those who go out in 

 carriages, on bicycles, or on foot, go scot free ? I 

 am inclined to think they should all be " asked for 

 a bit," for they enjoy the sport, or they would not 

 come out, and they do some harm in their generation. 

 There are liberal supporters of hunting who go 



