FOXES AND THE EVERLASTING QUESTION 181 
community. I have not at hand any computation 
of the sum circulated by shooting, but it must far 
exceed whatever is the actual hunting figure. How 
does the money expended locally per square mile of 
a hunt’s ‘country’ compare with that disbursed by 
shooting? If there were no hunting, I do not think 
it would make much difference to the labouring 
classes. When a labourer is out of work, he may 
get from hunting a limited amount of free sport— 
on an empty stomach. If he is very lucky indeed, 
he may ‘pick up a bob’ by holding a horse; but 
there are always dozens of hands ready to hold one 
rein. If it were not for shooting, how would 
thousands of families of the labouring class get 
through the winter? Ask any beater which 
pays him better, hunting or shooting, and he will 
gape at you in astonishment, and whenever he 
recovers the power of speech will ask what you 
‘me-ans.’ 
