THE CONDITIONS OF HUNTING. 237 



been in later years. I can think of two Masters who in my 

 young days were popular and successful, emphatically the 

 right men in the right place; but their duties were practically 

 confined to mastership in the field, and, as far els their countries 

 were concerned, there was really nothing for them to do. One 

 of the two I have in mind was a member of Parliament, and 

 engaged in business as well, and over a period of several years 

 I never remember to have seen him in the heart of his country 

 except on a hunting day. He paid occasional visits to the 

 kennels, no doubt; but he was too busy to give attention to 

 the country, and, as a matter of fact, many countries in those 

 days required no attention. The other man I am thinking 

 of never even lived in his country, though he had rooms at 

 a small hotel not far from one of his two kennels. He hunted 

 three days a week, and on the other three days was at the 

 head of a large business, and he never saw his country except 

 in the hunting season, for he hacked home five-and-twenty 

 miles or so after hunting, and really only kept his rooms to 

 dine (sometimes) and change in. The fact is that the great 

 question of fox preservation had hardly cropped up in those 

 days, and in the countries of the two Masters I am thinking 

 of the shooting tenant was almost unknown. All through the 

 country there was a feeling that a vulpecide was a criminal 

 who was without the pale, and I am much inclined to think 

 that this feeling was the greatest asset which the hunts had, 

 for there were always plenty of foxes everywhere, and blank 

 days were almost unknown, and if they did occur were gener- 

 ally due to an overnight storm or to inefficient stopping. In 

 certain places where foxes were too numerous litters would be 

 moved in the spring to other parts of the country, and in these 

 expeditions I frequently assisted. Indeed, I have mentioned 

 how I transferred three litters of cubs from the northern to 

 the southern part of the old " Durham County " country, 

 and that was only one of many such undertakings, usually 

 performed in the company of the late Mr. John Greenwell, 

 of Broomshields, or of his cousin, the latei Mr. Alan Green- 

 well, of Durham. 



But at none of these expeditions was there any sign of a 

 Master. "We were merely asked to take a few cubs to such and 

 such a place, and the message would come from the secretary 



