CAPT. BURNS-HARTOPP'S FINAL SEASONS 187 



found on several occasion in Mr. Carrington's 

 plantation and led us a dance into Cottesmore 

 territory. I rather fancied at the time that it was 

 this same old customer who had temporarily taken 

 up his residence in Barkby-Holt. Then there was 

 a very cunning old varmint who inhabited Queni- 

 borough Spinney, and was always away before 

 hounds reached the covert. He generally gave us a 

 good run, and was lost in the Cottesmore country. 

 His line was rather similar to the Ashby Pastures 

 customer — possibly it was the same. 

 This finished a very good season. 

 Tom Firr died at the end of 1902, and the fol- 

 lowing extract from my Field letter of 27th Decem- 

 ber is my last tribute to that great huntsman. 



" My duty as correspondent to this paper would 

 have called me to attend the Belvoir at Harby on 

 Saturday had I not felt hunting that day was out of 

 the question when the great huntsman was being 

 carried to his last resting-place. The little I know 

 and all I have learnt about the ' noble science ' 

 has been acquired by watching this wonderful man, 

 and it was a melancholy satisfaction to be able to 

 pay the last mark of respect by following him to his 

 grave. Clad in the sombre garb which custom 

 ordains, a large body of people had gathered in the 

 Httle churchyard at Quorn to do honour to all that 

 remained of the once famous huntsman. Waiting 

 there in solemn silence, I think most of us recalled 

 stirring scenes in the past, when our pleasure had 

 been due to the efforts of Tom Firr to show us 

 sport. Overhead a dull, leaden sky, a cold, still air, 

 and fences in the distance clearly outlined in black 

 relief — verily a day such as this man has often 



