sport. In such an instance the disguised enemy of 

 hunting is the gossiping Paul Pry, who first circu- 

 lated the report. 



On one occasion I was the witness of the start 

 of an unpleasant occurrence of this character. There 

 had been a difference of opinion between the Master 

 and a covert-owner in the hunting-field, and strong 

 language had been used on both sides. It is un- 

 necessary to relate the merits or demerits of the 

 dispute, which was amicably settled within a week, 

 so far as the principal parties were concerned. But, 

 unfortunately, before the settlement of the dispute, 

 the covert-owner had said at a dinner-party at his 

 own house that he would not allow the Master to 

 draw his coverts until he had apologized. This state- 

 ment was made before a private circle of supposed 

 friends over the mahogany after dinner ; yet within 

 a few days it was the public property of the country- 

 side, with the important omission of the clause as to 

 the apology. It was never discovered for an abso- 

 lute certainty who was "the snake in the grass" on 

 this occasion, though most of the guests formed a 

 shrewd opinion as to the identity of the reptile. 



The people who retail hunting scandal must be 

 reckoned amongst the most dangerous disguised ene- 

 mies of the sport. I believe that in many cases they 

 do not intend to create mischief, but I could relate 

 many instances where malice pretense was plainly 

 the motive of the scandal. I am sorry to say that 

 often ladies are the culprits, though I am glad to 

 record that I have heard ladies put down this 

 scandal-mongering with a strong voice when it was 

 impossible for a man to utter the rebuke. Of course, 

 we must expect to find what Punch calls "feline 

 amenities" in the hunting-field; but when these 

 feline amenities affect the prestige of the Hunt they 

 must be restrained by a strong hand, if only for the 

 reason that they destroy the social charm of hunt- 

 ing. But I do not wish to be accused of want of 

 chivalry. When all has been said, the tittle-tattle of 

 ladies is seldom taken seriously by sensible people. 



28 



