IMAGINARY GRIEVANCES 303 



This I pointed out to my friend, and his reply 

 was that he had hunted the horse as a three-year- 

 old. I also pointed out to him that a man who 

 was spending his money had a right to get what 

 he wanted, or as nearly what he wanted as possible. 

 To this he agreed, but though silenced I was satis- 

 fied that he was not convinced. 



With respect to provender, again, how many 

 farmers are there who have old oats, old beans, old 

 hay, and old straw of the quality which a careful 

 and provident horse-owner likes to see in his stable. 

 There are a few in every country, it is true, but 

 their number is soon exhausted, and those who 

 have not the necessary old corn and hay, often 

 assert that new is as good after Christmas, which 

 every practical man knows is not the case, and so 

 find an imaginary grievance. The hunting man 

 should, as much as lies in his power, buy every- 

 thing he requires from the farmers in the country 

 in which he obtains his sport. That may be laid 

 down as an axiom. But it by no means implies 

 that the farmers should be the sole judges of what 

 he requires. As he has the money to pay he has 

 a right to have the quality of provender and the 

 kind of horse that he wishes to have, and it should 

 be recognised, as it generally is recognised, for 

 happily hunting men and farmers have few mis- 

 understandings, that the obligations under which 

 hunting men and farmers are laid are mutual. 



