THE EIGHTH DUKE 



brush, and pulled him out. Spades were not used, 

 it being the V.W.H. country. Curiously enough, 

 in the same rabbit spout were four young cubs 

 about eight days old." 



On May 2nd the Duke finished his season with 

 a fine run from the monument at Hawkesbury, two 

 hours and six minutes. " Good finish to the 

 season," he says ; " may we have a good Qne next 

 year. Vivat Regina / " 



The third season the Duke carried the horn, that 

 of 1857-8, was undoubtedly a bad one. It was the 

 first winter of the Crimean War. The Duke 

 realized that to hunt a pack like his required a 

 man's whole attention, but first racing, and after- 

 wards the duties of Master of the Horse, which 

 office he held under Lord Derby's first adminis- 

 tration, often took him away. Though Stansby, 

 his first whipper-in, carried the horn well, yet sport 

 is never so good when hounds are hunted by one 

 to whom they are not used. 



Though the season on the whole was not a good 

 one, it was by no means devoid of sport, and when- 

 ever the Duke was out he never failed to record 

 the day's proceedings in his usual vivid style, and 

 with a keen eye for interesting details. 



They began hunting in Silkwood at 4.30 a.m., on 

 August 1 8th. The morning sport was ordinary 

 cub-hunting, but the following incident is curious 

 in its way. " A black horse I bought (from Dicky 

 Little, 9th Lancers, ordered out to India) kicked at 



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