276 THE ESSEX FOXHOUNDS. 



Long, and remained in the country till the end of the 

 season 1872-73, when he went as huntsman to the Kildare 

 in Ireland. In the meantime Mr. Scratton had resigned in 

 1869, to the regret of all Essex sportsmen, and left the 

 county for Devonshire, where he is still as enthusiastic in 

 breeding shorthorns as he was formerly in breeding 

 hounds. During his terms of office, between 1848 to 

 1869, he had succeeded in forming a splendid pack of 

 hounds, and no man worked harder than he did in 

 attending to the breeding of hounds. He used to keep 

 his field in the best of order, and if there was occasion 

 would throw his tongue freely, and the consequence was 

 that he was able to show good sport. One day, towards 

 the end of the season, a gentleman, hunting from 

 London, was unduly pressing hounds on a very good- 

 looking horse. Mr. Scratton said, " Pray hold hard, sir, 

 that horse is a srreat deal too valuable to be ridden like 

 that on the hard ground." The reply was : "I only 

 gave ^15 for him at Aldridge's yesterday." He certainly 

 looked worth ^^150. Mr. Scratton gave the writer, 

 when a boy of eighteen, a valuable lesson, which he 

 has never forgotten, as to holloaing a fresh fox. Hounds 

 were running hard in covert and a fox came away 

 close to the writer who holloaed his level best, little 



