THE Mi:Mni:Rs. 03 



WclshiiuMi. tliat they passed a resolution to make him nu-mher of Parhament 

 for the shire at the next election. 



It was now getting late, the wind was blowing, witli tlu^ rain coming down, 

 as it can among the mountains, but despite of this, two of us (King and Hateson), 

 who were to sleep at a friend's house, had to find their way home. The night 

 was pitch dark, our host was mounted on his pony, and he alone knew the 

 road. Howe\er, off we set, all going well for a time, when suddenly both man 

 and horse disappeared from the scene. The night being so dark, it was some 

 little time before they could l)e found ; at length both were dragged out of (he 

 ditch, when it was found that the equestrian had been stunned by the fall, and 

 could no longer direct his friends. Here was a pretty situation. It was next to 

 impossible to find the way back, and to go forward along an unknown road an 

 extremely risky proceeding. After consideration of the pros and cons it was 

 decided to trust to the pony, give him his head, and follow as best could be 

 done. In the space of a few minutes the gate was reached, into which the pony 

 turned, when the lights of the house became visible, nuich to the delight of the 

 way-worn travellers. 



]). O. Bateson has now a good representative in the R.R.]]. in liis son, 

 Ernest Bateson, who joined the club in 1892, but previous to that date liad 

 been out with the hounds several times, and had made one of the party who 

 went to Chirk for a few days' hunting in 1891. 



3obn ©P.ell. 



" Let me play ihe fool : 

 Willi mirlli and laughter let old wrinkles come." 



Moc/iant of I'cnici', net i, scene i. 



This gentleman is distinguished among beaglers as the partner with 

 wlioni Tinley Barton, as previously noticed, Ininted the AVirral country witli 

 three couple of hounds, before tlie R.R.B. were inaugurated. He took an 

 active part in forming the pack, and v,-as the fifth enrolled member of the 

 Hunt. Alihougli he only remained in the club for the first season, he was very 

 useful on tlie committee during that time, and was mainly instrumental in 

 finding the first two Inmtsmen, Kay and Jones. Having thus got the Hunt 

 well under way, Mr. Okell disappears from the records as regards beagling, 

 but as lie was a keen rider to hounds, he liunted regularly with the Hooton 

 foxhounds, and was present at the dinner given to Sir William Massey Stanley, 

 an account of which will be found on a later page. 



Even in his young days "Johnny Okell" received from his confiores llie 

 nickname of " Evergreen," and to the day of his death, some ten years ago, 

 he was well known along the line between Ledsham and Birkenhead as a 

 well-groomed, well-preserved, elderly gentleman. It seems possible that the 

 epithet "Evergreen," applied to him in 1845, gave the bent to his mind 

 which led him in liis later years to take such infinite pains to hide all the 

 ravages of time. A story is told of him that one da}' on the Stock Exchange, 



