Athletics and Football (extract)

PAPER-CHASING AND concoction, which have much injured the past\mc in the eyes of real sportsmen. The system of scoring in matches is, that the order of arrival of the different men is taken, and the club that scores the lowest aggregate wins. This certainly ensur s that the best average team has the best chance, but it is po siblc that a club which scores, say, the rst, znd, 3rd, 4th and sth men in, but ·whose 6th man does not reach home earlier than 4oth, may be beaten by a team which ha men finish 6th, 7th, 8th, gth, roth and 11th. Thus 6 2 7 3 8 4 9 5 10 40 II 55 SI The only really fair way is that which was suggested six years ago, viz., taking the aggregate times of the first six men of each team. But perhaps this would be too much strain on the obser- vant powers of the judges, who have plenty of room to muddle and mistake in the plain placing of the men 'vithout attempting to take each individual man's time as well. The stock-in-trade necessary to start a paper-chase club is small. A long sausage-shaped canvas bag slung over each hare's right shoulder, with an open mouth under the left arm where the head and tail of the bag are hooked together (the hare looking as though he had a soldier's rolled greatcoat on his back), holds a quantity of torn or cut paper the latter (book- binder's cuttings 6 or 8 in. long arc best) shakes down to the mouth of the bag as the hare runs. A small handful should be dropped by one or other of the hares every twenty yard or so. ·whenever the country gives an opportunity, a 'false' scent should be laid, e.g. at cross roads. An artful hare will often drop his 'false' faintly only and lay his real scent strong and , I