THE MASTERS. 49 



said to her in passing : " Look here, my lass ! whenever you see any of them 

 " liarrier chaps passing this way, just you peg stones at 'em." 



In hiter years his animosity softened down a little, but he never quite 

 forgave their intrusion into his country. Some of the beaglers were also 

 members of the harriers, and this was somewhat hurting to his feelings. The 

 writer frecjuently, wlicn riding homewards from hunting with the harriers on 

 a Saturday afternoon, looked in to have tea with the beaglers at their " pub," 

 wlien old King would invariably bawl out — " Hillo ! here's one of them 

 •■ harrier fellers : turn him out. Oh ! it's only old Caine, we'll let him in ; 

 " he's a irood beamier at'ter all." 



D. a» IFxiiui as JScaolcr. 



" Now to our mountain sport : up to yon hill ; 

 Your legs are young ; I'll ire.^d these flats." 



Cynibeline, act Hi, scene 3. 



As a beagler " Ould King " was perfect, and a model to us all. In his 

 young days he was a good runner and kept well up with the hounds ; but 

 those of the ])resent members of the club, who had the inestimable advantage 

 of being beaglers when he was Master, can only remember him as practically 

 an old man, though one who kept up his stamina to the last, and tramped 

 about the fields in a way which tired out many a youngster. His knowledge 

 of the etiquette of sport was complete, and his word was law in all matters 

 connected with the Hunt. His ready tact smoothed all difficulties that might 

 arise widi farmers or shooting men ; in tact, no one could resist his persua- 

 sive eloquence. 



In the later years of his life, his beagles (and he could, without offence, 

 call them '• his beagles," including in that term not only the hounds but all 

 the members as well) held the first place in his heart, and during the hunting 

 season he would look forward to Wednesdays and Saturdays as his red-letter 

 days. There can be no doubt that intense enjoyment began for "ould King" 

 on Saturdays, from the time that he donned his familiar old green coat and 

 horn, his check knickerbockers and thick boots, to proceed down to the 

 Woodside landing-stage to welcome his beaglers, and was sustained to the 

 time when he wished the last good night to the happy beaglers he entertained 

 at dinner. 



\\\\o can forget the way in which our Master met the 12 o'clock boat 

 from Liverpool ? On the approach of the boat to the Woodside stage, the 

 beaglers on board gathered in a knot at the gangway, surrounded by a gaping 

 crowd of the more curious passengers, and beheld their Master, clad in all 

 his panojily of the chase, without an overcoat, standing in an attitude similar 

 to that in his portrait, and with much the same expression on his face. When 



H 



