206 RECORDS OF THE CHASE 



Gifford are well aware of his pluck. After such a painful 

 assault most men would have gone home rather than 

 have drawn again ; and killing his second fox under such 

 circumstances is a proof of what enthusiasm will cause a 

 master of hounds to undergo for the purpose 

 of obtaining blood. It was some time before the 

 inflammation produced by the stings of those 

 venomous insects was entirely subdued. 



Lord Gifford has shown great sport in Herefordshire, 

 but the season of 1852 and 1853, which will ever be 

 remembered in the annals of fox hunting as the wet 

 season, was essentially unfavourable to that county; a 

 great portion of it was continually flooded, and it was 

 therefore impracticable to ride over it; and, the scent 

 failing in the flooded grounds, they were not always 

 able to finish satisfactorily with their foxes. 



A new master of fox-hounds in the person of Mr. 

 Wall came forward to hunt the Hampshire country on 

 the resignation of Lord Gifford, and all the necessary 

 arrangements were made for the campaign. Mr. 

 Napper's hounds were purchased to fill up the vacancy 

 occasioned by Lord Gifford taking his own hounds with 

 him. Some men are doomed to be " doubly blessed," 

 and such was Mr. Wall's case. No sooner were the 

 arrangements completed for hunting the H. H. than 

 the Hursley became vacant by the death of the worthy 

 and highly esteemed master, Mr. Cockburn. This 

 country being in the immediate vicinity of Mr. Wall's 

 residence, he determined upon taking it, which with 

 the H. H. would entail the necessity of having a pack 

 in the field six days in the week. He was, however, 

 relieved from so heavy an engagement by the gentle- 

 men of the H. H. taking their country off his hands ; 

 Mr. Knight of Chawton House undertaking the prin- 

 cipal responsibilities!. They commenced hunting with 

 fifty-five couples of hounds, about twenty couples of 

 which were those purchased by Mr. Wall from Mr. 

 Napper but given up to the club on Mr. Wall taking to 



