The Royal Buckhounds 175 



and even the women put on their Sunday bonnets and shawls 

 to go and see Parson Russell find his fox." 



This grand old sportsman hunted his hounds to his eighty- 

 sixth year. His noble deeds in the hunting field and church 

 as well, will be handed down in Devonshire to innumerable 

 generations yet unborn. 



We have been dwelling in covert overlong. Let us hasten 

 on to a day, when in company with liis good friend Col. Rich- 

 ardson, whom the reader already knows as the owner of 

 "Richard the Bay," the writer paid a visit to Windsor Castle 

 and rode through the great Windsor park forest to the meet 

 of the Royal Buckhounds at Ascot. It was a notable gather- 

 ing, for it was at the time of the Queen's jubilee. Many per- 

 sons of the royal court, official dignitaries of the government, 

 officers of the army and navy, were assembled at Windsor to 

 join in the royal welcome extended to distinguished foreign 

 visitors. 



We reached Windsor the day before, so as to be present to 

 witness the arrival of her Majesty's royal guests. 



The *Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess 

 of York, and many others were at the station to welcome the 

 distinguished guests. The city was gaily decorated \vith flags 

 and bunting. The noted "Life Guards," probably the finest 

 body of men in the service of any country, were on hand as an 

 escort, and a regiment of two of the regulars lined the streets 

 from the station to the castle. 



It was all very grand, but to see these great men and a 

 hundred other titled ladies and gentlemen the follo^ving day 

 riding in the chase among tenant farmers, shop keepers and 

 jobmasters, was the best sight of all. Her Majesty, Queen 

 Victoria, honoured the occasion with her presence by dri\ang 

 to the meet in a common victoria like scores of others, who were 

 there on a similar mission. It was at this particular meet that 

 *Since crowned King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, 



