Frank Beers, Huntsman. 105 



So pass the bottle round and let each sparkling glass be filled, 



boys, 

 Here's to the fox the Duke's dog pack at Canons Ashby killed, 



boys. 



During the first eight years of Frank Beers' 

 time no diary was kept; but in 1870 he began to 

 keep a good one, and I shall give such extracts 

 therefrom of twenty seasons' sport as will, I feel 

 sure, be interesting to all Grafton men, and to 

 others who hunted there occasionally. 



In the summer of 1865 our huntsman^s health 

 failed, and serious fears were entertained about 

 him. The Duke of Grafton was so kind as 

 to insist upon Frank's spending the winter in the 

 Isle of Wight. George Beers was residing at 

 Whittlebury, and the Duke placed the pack in his 

 charge. Such good hunters were provided that 

 George rode just as well as ever. It was a great 

 trial to his son to leave the pack, and he took his 

 departure very unwillingly. I promised Frank that 

 I would stick to his father, and keep him posted 

 up as to what they were doing. Accordingly, I 

 hunted every day the hounds went out of the kennel 

 during the season, and, as I knew every hound, I 

 was able to make a fair report. 



In that season we had a bob-tailed fox in the 

 Preston coverts ; this fox we ran twice, and he had 



