EARTH-STOPPING 241 



to the keepers pointing out that when foxes were 

 found in their coverts and went to ground in them 

 in known earths the fees for finds would not be 

 paid soon put an end to all that kind of thing. 



There is, however, the idle keeper to contend 

 with, the man who does not stop the earths pro- 

 perly, but " puts to " in the morning, and very 

 likely stops a fox in. This is a dangerous gentle- 

 man in a hunt, and he does a lot of harm ; for 

 he can easily forget to open the earths out, with a 

 result which is not pleasant to contemplate. 



Personally I should like to see the old earth- 

 stopper once more a hunt official ; he generally, 

 nay always, knew a great deal about hunting and 

 the habits of foxes, and when he was in office I 

 had an idea that foxes were less frequently under- 

 ground when wanted than obtains in the present 

 year of grace. 



