"I dursn't lose him." 115 



time who, in their respective countries, were in the like 

 predicament. Colonel Cook, for example, was equally 

 lacking in acres. In Mr. Greaves's case, however, 

 there seems no room to doubt that in some quarters 

 he was regarded somewhat in the light of an intruder, 

 and was denied that fair chance without which not even 

 a heaven-born sportsman can succeed. His havino- 

 to succeed Mr. Conyers may have had something to 

 do with the feeling which in some districts almost 

 savoured of open hostility ; but the important fact 

 remains that foxes were not plentiful, and Treadwell 

 had to work hard and make the utmost of every 

 slight chance in order to silence the " I told you so " 

 school, who were ready and willing to find fault. 



The story runs that one day towards the close of a 

 long hunting run, when scent was failing, some sym- 

 pathiser remarked to the huntsman, "Treadwell, I'm afraid 

 you will lose your fox " ; whereupon he replied at once, as 

 though the idea were the last that could present itself to 

 his imagination, " Lose him, sir, why, I dursn't lose him ; I 

 don't know where to find another." History, unfortunately, 

 does not say how this {particular run ended ; but many a 

 good day's sport in Essex proved that Treadwell was a 

 wonderful huntsman, with an instinctive knowledge of the 



