FOXHUNTING 



Well, I must now hark back a bit and get to the 

 tale of Col. Fuller's early days with the V.W.H. 

 He and I seem to have had contact throughout 

 life at many points, soldiering, foxhunting and in 

 later years, public work. I have a clear recol- 

 lection of a day he spent with us in these early days, 

 before he took over, just to see the country and, I 

 presume, to let us see whether we should like him, 

 or it may be to let us see he could fill the post and 

 act with energy. On that day I was able to com- 

 pete for a while, and for a while only, for when we 

 came to a brook with a stile and stepping-stones 

 on either side, I found I no longer could and he 

 passed out of sight. But there came a day when I 

 think the boot was on the other leg. I have an 

 idea this day we found a fox in Water Eaton cover 

 and ran across the Vale near Kempsford. Half-way 

 through the ride hounds had a check and no one 

 seemed near to put them right. In my haste I 

 made a very thoughtless remark by saying, " Has 

 anyone seen the Master ? " and a voice rang out 

 from the next field. " Here I am, where you ought 

 to be." However, an explanation was soon forth- 

 coming by his saying, " My fault, Charley, I ought 

 to have been up." 



His second season was a good one, it followed a 

 dry summer and I remember the going was really 

 fine. 



These three seasons before the Great War I 

 believe will be recorded amongst his best. Joe 

 Willis tells me that in 19 lo 62|- brace of foxes was 

 the record, although following the War sport 



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