DOBSON RETIRES. 1 67 



The retiring" master showed his interest in the welfare 

 of the hunt by lending his hounds to the country, and 

 undertaking' the supervision of the kennels. Matters finan- 

 cial and all arrangements in the field were left to Mr. 

 Watlington and Sir Henry, though the latter was sometimes 

 kept out of the saddle through the press of his ofiicial 

 duties at the Treasury. He hunted, however, as often as 

 possible, and both at this time and later when he was sole 

 master, he was often booted and spurred at Liverpool 

 Street Station, a passenger by the 7.35 a.m. train to 

 Harlow, and this on many a cold foggy morning when 

 even a younger man might have thought twice about 

 turning out so early after a night's work. 



Contemporaneously with Mr. .Arkwright's retirement, 

 sLmdry im[iortant changes were made in the staff. .Stephen 

 Dobson, after having been in harness for a good many years, 

 surrendered the horn which he had carried with conspicuous 

 success for a dozen seasons, but was not allowed to settle 

 down into private life without receiving, at the hands of 

 the memljers of the hunt and farmers, a token of the good 

 will borne towards him and the esteem in which he was 

 held l)y all. This took the form of a gold watch and 

 a well-hlletl |)urse. Dobson had played his part well. 

 Both in kennel and in the field he had given ever)' satis- 



