314 MEMOIR OF 



have said that a for'rad cast is, as it ought to 

 be, one of the golden rules of a foxhunter, still, 

 exceptional cases do occur even in that go-ahead 

 school, when its non-observance becomes not 

 only admissible, but at times imperative. 



Russell had found a fox on a certain occa- 

 sion somewhere in the neighbourhood of High 

 Bray, when, just before the hounds had killed 

 him, he was joined by one John Zeal, a man 

 who acted as factotum to Mr. T. Palmer 

 Ackland, on w^iose business he was then going 

 to Bideford. Now John, as Russell well knew, 

 was an enthusiastic foxhunter, and chuckled 

 cheerily over his good luck in having fallen in 

 even with the tail-end of so pleasant an episode 

 during his solitary ride. 



Seeing him so elated, Russell said, "You'd 

 better stop, John, and see me find another 

 fox." 



The man hesitated a moment, as if weighing 

 the urgency of his mission against the prospect 

 of sport — duty in one scale and pleasure in 

 the other. 



" But will you kill him, sir, if I stop ? " in- 

 quired John, gradually yielding to the stronger 

 impulse. 



" Oh, yes ! I'll kill him ; so, come along." 



" But will you promise to kill him ? " repeated 

 the man, still wavering ; only say the word and 

 I know you'll do it." 



