THE CONDITIONS OF HUNTING. 243 



was no fox, aud houuds when drawn out crossed the lane a 

 quarter of a mile from where the field were standing, and pro- 

 ceeded to the next covert. The route for the " field " was 

 along an occupation road, whence there was a lodge and a 

 light gate, and to this they turned. A woman came out oi 

 the lodge, stood in front of thei gate, and shouted out that no 

 one should come through until she had been paid for her hens, 

 which, she said, a fox had taken. There was some argument, 

 and a shout for the secretary, who was somewhere in the 

 crowd, but before he could settle the matteir the second 

 whipper-in came galloping up, and as the crowd opened he 

 realised what was taking place, and, jumping the gate^ — not 

 a high one — sihouted in a loiud voice: " My master '11 give you 

 a Christmas box, old lady." There was a roar of laughter 

 and the woman being off her guard, someone opened the gate 

 and everyone went through. On arrival at the covert, it was 

 evident the Master had been told whati had taken place, for hei 

 at once sent the whipper-in back with a sovereign, and a pro- 

 mise that the full claim should be paid at once. 



Perhaps there has been less change with regard toi covert 

 funds than with any other financial parts of hunting, for the 

 covert fund is geinerally used for the maintenance of the gorse 

 coverts, which are not of great shooting value, and which have 

 been in very many cases planted by the hunt, or individual 

 members thereof. But in addition to covert funds there are 

 in these days many shootings which are taken by Masters of 

 hounds, by individual members of hunts, or by syndicates of 

 hunting men, with a view to fox preservation. I know of one 

 hunt in which the Master and his friends have so much of the 

 shooting taken tliat they are almo'siti indepeindent, a.nd I know 

 of other places in which the shooting syndicate works admir- 

 ably. All this, of course, means greatly increased expendi- 

 ture, both on the part of Masters and of enterprising hunting 

 men. And in increased expenditure is to be found one of the 

 greatest changes which has come over hunting during the last 

 two generations. For example, the price of horses has, 

 broiadly sipeaking, doubled in my time, which meansi that the 

 horso which could be bought for from £60 to £80 now costs 

 from £130 to £160, and the horse obtainable fifty years ago 



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