75 



Castles, made up the hard riding division of the farmers. 

 Mr. Herbert Parsons, Colonel Kuck Keene, and Willy 

 Ashhurst, were out that day. Lord Macclesfield was 

 hunting the hounds as usual ; Garsden, kennel hunts- 

 man and first whip ; Charley Shepherd (the present 

 kennel huntsman), second whip. 



Garsden always seemed to take it rather easily in the 

 field, and Lord Macclesfield and Charley did the most of 

 the work. But I remember one day, when his lordship 

 was out in 1872, Garsden and Charley, with Jack Thomp- 

 son as field manager, did just about push them along. 

 I had then a pupil not all there, wlio wanted careful 

 handling, and who sometimes would do nothing, and 

 you could make do nothing. He was in one of those 

 fits that morning, so I put my man in a chair in the 

 hall to look after him, he being up in his room, and got 

 on my horse. I just caught the hounds going away 

 from Hell Copse. There were three couple running 

 another fox, which I foolishly tried to stop ; for I have 

 found by experience it is not much good for a stranger 

 to try and stop hounds by himself. The hounds ran 

 through Horton Wood, and came away by Bechley for 

 the top of Stow Wood (where I caught them), then by 

 Barton village, under Headington, and ran to ground 

 under Shotover, after rising the hill — Jack Thomjoson 

 and Frank Davenport well to the fore all the time. We 

 did not wait a moment after he had gone to ground, 

 but w^ent straight back to the quarters where we had 

 left the three couple; found them still running; got 

 away at the corner of Shabbington Wood, through Oak- 

 ley village, under Brill, and killed him in the open 

 under Dorton. I got a bad start again from Shabbing- 

 ton Wood, and did not know they were away till I saw 

 Garsden's grey horse going away three fields off*, and 

 had to ride to catch them ; but as luck had it I was in 



