262 SPORTING FOR MEN OF MODEUATE MEANS 



and the usual " Who'd have thought it ? " " Knew 

 it was coming," " Always said so," and so on. But 

 to my mutton. Despite of the heavy price of 

 things, heavy taxes, heavy rents, the Englishman is 

 still a sportsman to his heart's core. If he does not 

 make such a labour of it as his forefathers, he loves 

 it just as well ; his hounds and his horses are 

 faster — he is faster, in many senses of the word ; 

 his guns do not take half an hour to load, and his 

 pointers or setters can beat a twenty-acre field of 

 turnips in something less than four hours ; in fact, 

 in many places dogs are going out of fashion, and 

 the detestable system of " driving " coming in. I 

 hate a battue, and call it sport I cannot, and never 

 will. It is true I go to them occasionally, get into 

 a hot corner, and have the " bouquet " — but still I 

 cannot call it legitimate sport. 



The man with moderate means must give up all 

 idea of Scotch shooting, unless he goes very far 

 north and gets some of the islands that are difficult 

 of access ; then it may still be done. Wild shoot- 

 ing, in many parts of Wiltshire, Dorsetshire, Devon- 

 shire, and Cornwall may be had at reasonable prices : 

 thirty years ago ground — and good ground — could 

 be got at sixpence an acre ; now it is eighteenpence 

 and two shillings. 



Very fair rough shooting may be rented in North 



