14 THE SOUTH DEVON HUNT 



the People's Budget, "The money must be got"; 

 but the way of its getting is not an aspect of the 

 Sport of Kings that needs to be perpetuated. 

 Personall}', I agree with the vie\v of Mr. Reginald 

 Herbert, of the Monmouthshire, that for a member 

 of the field to separate himself furtively from his 

 fellows, and go round ^vith the hat, brings the thing 

 down very nearly to the level of a German band. 

 But I suppose that as long as there are people who 

 are willing to enjoy their sport at the expense of 

 others, these things must be done. Only, let us as 

 soon as possible forget that they are done. 



The climate of South Devon, being of the type 

 dubbed " salubrious " by the house agents, some- 

 times brings hunting people from further north for 

 reasons of health. Such always find, as indeed does 

 any stranger or visitor from a neighbouring hunt, 

 a cordial welcome from master and field. But for 

 the most part, the fields consist of the ordinary 

 inhabitants of the locality. 



It is to the credit of the South Devon Hunt, that, 

 during an existence of over a hundred years, there 

 has been only one season when it was without a 

 master, and that was the season of 1826-7 after the 

 unexpected collapse of the Stover establishment 

 under George Templer. It is true that at times 

 certain parts of the country have been more or less 

 derelict for a short period, but that was only due 

 to the immense extent of the country and to the 

 particular situation of the kennels at the moment. 

 Of late years, any such outlying portions have wisely 

 been either hunted separately or loaned to other 

 packs, with the result, as James Pigg would say, of 

 "keeping the tambourine a-rolling" throughout the 

 wide dominions of the South Devon Hunt. 



