THE REV. JOHN RUSSELL. ' 339 



Russell, after papering and painting the old 

 rectory at Black Torrington, to which he had 

 now removed, commenced building a set of new 

 stables, at a heavy cost, and had just finished 

 the work, when a fire broke out in them, and 

 treated him to such a "house-warming" as he 

 had never before encountered. " I had only 

 just completed them," he wrote, "and at my 

 own expense, when in less than a hour and a 

 half they became a heap of ruins. There were 

 two horses, Simon and a valuable Irish mare in 

 them, besides tw^o terriers. Alas ! they are all 

 dead." 



On Friday, the 22nd of August, 1879, he was 

 invited by Mr. Luttrell to meet the Prince of 

 Wales at Dunster Castle ; and on that day a 

 noble stag, roused in the depths of Hawkcombe 

 Head, lead them a glorious chase over the 

 wildest region of Exmoor, the Prince, who was 

 well up at the finish, being greatly delighted 

 with his day's sport. 



Then, in the same year, on Monday, the 

 3rd of November, that being the opening day 

 of the Quorn Hounds, we find him at Kirby 

 Gate, mounted by his friend, Mr. Pennell- 

 Elmhirst, to whom he was paying a long-promised 

 visit. 



On Tuesday, the 4th, he hunted with the 

 Cottesmore at Tilton Gate, and that evening 

 Lord Carington, the Master, and Mr. George 



