THE MONTREAL 



hunted the hounds himself until 1 866, when Drysdale was made huntsman, 

 which place he filled with honor until 1 899. Thus it will be seen that from 

 1 859 until the present date, a period of almost fifty years, there have been 

 but two huntsmen. 



On the retirement of Drysdale in 1 890, a new period of activity began. 

 Will Nicholls was sent to Montreal by Edward Cotesworth, at that time 

 huntsman to the Linlithgow and Stirlingshire hounds in Scotland. Nicholls 

 had been under the tutelage of Cotesworth as first whipper-in, and when 

 the latter was asked by the Montreal Master as to Nicholls' qualifications 

 to take charge of the Canadian pack, he was able to reply most favor- 

 ably, and Nicholls has proved a very successful choice. Young, active, 

 enthusiastic, an excellent horseman and a keen lover of sport, he has 

 made himself a part of the Hunt, and it v«ll be a sorry day indeed for the 

 Montreal when he retires. In the eighteen years he has held his posi- 

 tion, he has been unflagging in his efforts to improve his hounds, and the 

 pack has to-day no supenors and but few equals in the field, while on the 

 flags they stand in the front rank. During the first part of Nicholls' ser- 

 vice, most of the drafts procured from abroad came from the Linlithgow and 

 Stirlingshire, while the Croome, Old Berkshire and Lord Eglmton's blood 

 played a conspicuous part. Of late years Mr. Butt Miller, M. F. H. of 

 one of the Vale of White Horse packs, has taken a great interest in the 

 Montreal, and has from time to time sent them valuable additions from his 

 own and other kennels, as well as acting as their representative at Rugby 

 hound sales. 



Nicholls has been successful in breeding, and the Montreal entries are 

 always of very high quality. His old mentor, — now with the Middlesex, 

 — and he, have many a friendly tussle on the flags of the National Hound 

 Show ; and honors are about even. In the field, he is an excellent hunts- 

 man, his hounds being under perfect control, and working for him and with 

 him as good hounds should. Foxes are plenty in the Montreal country, 

 and are well looked after, and it is very seldom that a fox is not accounted 

 for in one way or another. 



The country hunted consists of the Island of Montreal and the adjacent 



108 



