304 FOX-HUNTING IN THE SHIRES 



It is possible of course, to hunt in the Shires and 

 pay much less than the sums I have named, for if 

 a visitor chooses Rugby £^o will make him free 

 of three hunts ; the minimum of the Atherstone, 

 the Warwickshire and the North Warwickshire being 

 a modest £io ; and the other subscriptions and 

 expenses would be reduced in proportion. Another 

 £10 might be enough to satisfy conscience, if not 

 quite all that a liberal soul would desire to give. 

 Thus a man who hunted with only one of these packs 

 might expend no more than £15 for some of the best 

 sport in England. 



If we take the Midlands through we shall find that 

 the difference in the sport depends not on fashion, not 

 even on the country, so much as on the foxes, the 

 hounds and the huntsman. I do not think I should 

 be wrong in saying that the last three may be ranked 

 in the order named, and they will all three be found 

 as good in less as in more fashionable countries. I 

 think experience will show that, granted that we are 

 to hunt away from home, the additional expenses 

 are considerably greater in the Midlands than else- 

 where in one important particular, and that is the 

 price of our horses. I should put down the additional 

 expense in purchasing horses in a stable of six at 

 from £500 to £y^o more than would be required for 

 that purpose in a good provincial country, but I have 

 dealt with the all-important question of horses else- 

 where. This is money out of pocket at the time, 

 but horses well bought, well kept, and well ridden 

 are always worth a proportion of their original cost 

 if you desire to sell them. 



If we say, then, that the additional cost of a season 

 in the Midlands beyond our ordinary expenditure, 

 doing things in a fairly comfortable way but without 



