196 THE SPORT OF KINGS 



The man who hunts from town is really one of 

 the great mainstays of hunting. Generally, not 

 always it is true, but generally he is a liberal 

 subscriber to the hunt of his choice. He is always 

 willing to join in any plan which is likely to give 

 pleasure to those over whose land he hunts, and he 

 is a good fellow, cheery, and hospitable. But he 

 is more than this. His healthy mind in healthy 

 body, the result of days spent in the saddle ; his 

 cheerful voice and hearty manner give the lie 

 direct to those maudlin humanitarians who would 

 put an end to all sport for the simple reason that 

 they have not nerve and pluck enough to join in 

 it themselves. For it is principally in cities, 

 amongst a physically idle, luxurious, and senti- 

 mental class that the humanitarians have their 

 strongholds, and the man who hunts from town is 

 a rare corrective. His breeziness and his practical 

 knowledge of the world do much to dispel the 

 vapours of the maudlin. 



Referring for a moment to my friend's remark, 

 I would point out that there is in every man who 

 hunts from town a possible future landowner. I 

 need not insist upon the advantages to a hunt 

 when the new landowner is a man of hunting 

 rather than of shooting tastes. Even the ranks of 

 Masters of Hounds have been recruited from the 

 men who hunt from town, and more than one 

 M.F.H. who has done good service to the cause 

 of fox-hunting has, at any rate, commenced his 

 hunting career in a humble way when he did not 

 own an acre of land. 



So by all means let hunting men give a hearty 

 welcome — as indeed they generally do — to the 

 men who hunt from town. Let them be — 



