/IRastcrs of tbe 1Roi?al Bucftbounbs 209 



His gaunt, thin frame and lank, hollow cheeks gave 

 him the appearance of an ascetic. And, indeed, he 

 lived almost as frugally as a hermit. One day he said 

 to Lord Rosslyn, ' I hope you will excuse me, my lord, 

 if I do not ride hard to-day.' ' Why, what's the matter ? ' 

 asked the Master. ' If you please, my lord, I allowed 

 myself to be persuaded to take a bit of pheasant last 

 night at supper. It was rather high and has disagreed 

 with me.' 



A very grave, serious man, of a deeply religious turn, 

 was Charles Davis, with not a spark of jollity about him. 

 But, for all his Puritanic ways, he was a fine horseman 

 and a grand huntsman. He ruled his hounds by love 

 rather than fear, but he had them under the most 

 perfect control. An eye-witness tells how once, when 

 running up a grass lane, hounds got view of the stag. 

 Davis galloped along the hedge-side of the field, jumped 

 into the lane in front of the hounds, drew his horse 

 across the way, and held his whip out at arm's length ; 

 though in full cry, the hounds stopped dead short, and 

 not one of them attempted to pass till he lowered his 

 whip. Was there ever a finer illustration of superb 

 discipline than that ! 



In 1866 Davis had a severe fall, and hurt his leg so 

 badly that he asked leave to resign. He was then in 

 his seventy-sixth year, and had been forty years with 

 the Buckhounds. His resignation was accepted, and 

 Harry King succeeded him. But the veteran did not 

 long survive his retirement from the post he had so long 

 and honourably filled. He died at Ascot on the 26th of 

 October 1867. Harry King in his turn was succeeded 

 by the well-known Frank Goodall, who, I am glad to say, 

 is still living in the enjoyment of well-earned repose. 



O 



