MR. JOHN COUPLAND 45 



spondent covered days with the Cottesmore and 

 Belvoir as well as the Quorn, I lived in the latter 

 country, and shall therefore date my yarns by the 

 different periods of mastership. Actual dates are, of 

 course, very useful in a book of reference — this is 

 not — but I think to the ordinary individual they 

 are dry and unpalatable. 



Mr. Coupland was a real good sportsman, and 

 there was probably a better average of first-class 

 runs during his reign than have been seen before 

 or since. The Quorn were in want of a master 

 and his offer to take the hounds was accepted, 

 though almost practically unknown in Leicester- 

 shire. When business allowed, I believe he had 

 been a fairly constant attendant with the Cheshire 

 packs. To the average hunting man, unfamihar 

 with business, the mere fact that the new master 

 was an owner of ships spelt riches with a capital R, 

 and he had no idea of the large share which credit 

 frequently plays in such undertakings. Mr. Coup- 

 land was a clever man without a large amount of 

 capital at his back, and at the time he took the 

 hounds, he was apparently on the high road to 

 fortune. Unfortunately for him there came a slump 

 in shipping a little later, and freights were reduced to 

 a minimum. 



Having the control of an important country like 

 the Quorn, with the numerous and unavoidable 

 expenses attached thereto, with a large business 

 that was threatening every day to collapse, it will 

 be seen that he had a heavy load to bear. 



At that period the master settled damages and 

 paid compensation for poultry, etc. I am quite sure 

 that Mr. Coupland would have paid all claimants 



