66 ROYAL ROCK BEAGLE HUNT. 



Onr beagle " meets," when far the master's horn — 

 Now mute — was heard across the autumn fields, 



A joyance held for us ; but now, forlorn, 



The Hunt no more its former rapture yields. 



Dear friend, brave heart, our lives shall surely hold 

 In loving memory thy goodness great ; 



It never failed thy friends — that heart of gold — 

 It never thrust the hungry from thy gate. 



Xouis 1Ru^^ Stevenson. 



" Then should the warlike Harry, like himself, 

 Assume the port of Mars ; and at his heels 

 Leash'd in like hounds,'' &c.. S:c. 



Kills; Heiiiy I', Infyoductioii. 



After the death of our beloved old Master (V. A. King), some of the 

 older members thought the time had come to terminate the existence of the 

 Royal Rock Beagle Hunt, feeling that it would be impossible for any one to 

 fill his place. The sentiments of us ail were well expressed in Mr. Rae's 

 poem, '• In Menioriam ": — 



Our beagle meets, when far the master's horn — 

 Now mute — was heai^d across the autunm fields, 



A joyance held for us ; but now, forlorn, 



The Hunt no more its former rapture yields. 



The majority of the younger members, liowever, were not disposed to 

 abandon the Hunt, feeling that to cany it on would be tlie best tribute to 

 their old Master's memory, T. I\. Stevenson here came to the rescue, and 

 showed that nothing could be further fiom Colonel King's wishes than that 

 the pack should be given up, and the country left a [M'ey to the harriers. He 

 was also able to assure the club that both Mrs. and Miss King would be 

 terribly disappointed if the R.R.B, were not carried on with spirit, and also 

 that both ladies had commissioned him to express tlieir wisli to become 

 honorary members, promising to subscribe ten guineas. 



Under these circumstances it was decided to carry on the Htint, and at 

 the annual general meeting in 1882, when these matters were discussed, it 

 was unanimously resolved to invite L. R. Stevenson to become Master, and 

 to lead us on to a brilliant future. 



Looking back over the past dozen years, we cannot but be convinced 

 that it would liave been a '• crying shame "' if such a grand organization 

 had been permitted to lapse. At the same time lliere can be no dcubt 

 that it was a very critical period, and Stevenson must liave had many an 

 anxious moment before he could ]iersuade liimsclf to '• step into the shoes "' 

 of sucli a Master as " Old King." It was, however, the general feeling, 



