138 England's oldest hunt. 



where he engaged and paid John Boyes to whip, he was alone 

 for the third year. Many were the long rides home he had 

 by himself, except for hounds, and many the hard days ; 

 but again, I say, he loved the sport, and this explains much. 

 Residing at Holly Bower, Bilsdale, Bentley farms the land 

 around him, and often did a day's work before setting off 

 to hunt, and another on returning. He surmounted many 

 difficulties which presented themselves by sheer pluck and 

 determination, and through fair weather and foul maintained 



THOMAS BENTLEY, BILSDALE HUNTSMAN. 



that good humour which is characteristic of the man. Not 

 only is he a sportsman, every inch of him, but he carries 

 with him that indescribable something which makes it 

 possible to pick out from his fellows the man who lives in 

 an atmosphere of horses, hounds, and foxes. He rides on 

 the moors as only a man born with the smell of turf in his 

 nostrils can, and he, like Frank Freeman, now huntsman of 

 the Pytchley, is one of the most remarkable men for viewing 

 a fox I ever saw. A welter weight for a huntsman, 

 yet he is a difficult man to catch when hounds get away 

 with one of those stout hill foxes. Unassuming, he rather 

 under-estimates than exaggerates his knowledge of venery. 

 This, together with his enthusiasm and keen sense of the 

 humorous, has made him very popular. 



