The Life of a Great Sportsman 



hunted the Brocklesby dog pack during the last two years of 

 George Ash's term of office as huntsman to the Brocklesby, and 

 the first two years of Will Dale's. Twice every week saw my 

 brother during the years 1882 and 1886 in the correct huntsman 

 get-up, and I am told that he was quite extraordinary as a 

 practical huntsman. Once only I was privileged to be out 

 when he hunted hounds, and I remember well what a fine day's 

 sport we had, and how fit and happy he looked. What struck 

 me rather particularly was that he was wearing extraordinary 

 thick-soled top-boots. Remembering how in other days the 

 thinness and elegance of the hunting boot was a point my 

 brothers were very particular about, I inquired the reason. He 

 replied : " If you had to go through and over such rough 

 places as I have, you would know well why a huntsman 

 wears thick-soled top-boots." 



I have mentioned elsewhere that when my eldest brother 

 married, he continued to live on at the old home at Limber ; 

 and as young married people naturally prefer a house to them- 

 selves, the knotty point had to be solved as to what Maunsell 

 would do, and where he would reside. There was practically 

 no house in Limber that would have been at all suitable for 

 him. In fact, at that time there was not an available house of 

 any kind in the village. Where was he to live, then, was the 

 question. It was for his staunch friend the late Earl of 

 Yarborough to solve the problem. Determined that Limber 

 village should not lose from its precincts a man who had so 

 distinguished himself, and whom he trusted and loved above 

 all men, consulting him as he did in many matters other than 

 those connected with the turf, the chase and the stables, he 

 at once built him a house as near the old home at Limber as 

 possible, and quite close to my brother's racing stables already 

 erected in the village, which had shown such wonderful results. 



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