The Men. 57 



/.rst check which Mr. Chute's hounds came to lost 

 the fox. 



George, however, retained his place, except for a 

 very brief interval, during his kind master's life. Once, 

 indeed, Mr. Chute was persuaded to supersede him ; 

 and to procure a huntsman named Cane from some 

 distant county, I think Norfolk. I do not believe that 

 he was a man of much ability, but it must be con- 

 fessed that he was scarcely allowed a fair trial in a 

 strange country. Mr. Chute had deposed George 

 most reluctantly, and was very glad in his heart 

 when the new man did not seem to succeed. About 

 Christmas, when, according to the laudable custom 

 which now seems to be obsolete, a hard frost set 

 in. Cane asked leave to go home and see his friends. 

 Mr. Chute told him that he was most welcome to go, 

 but that he need not take the trouble to come back 

 again. The man was discharged, and when the frost 

 broke, George came out again at the head of the 

 hounds ; and Tom Chute observed, ' My brother was 

 delighted to find himself " cum canibus, sine Called ' 



It was Mr. Chute's foible that he permitted his 

 servants to use familiar and disrespectful language 

 towards him, and I cannot acquit George of great 

 blame for taking an undue advantage of this 

 indulgence. The two instances which I will record 

 may seem to some scarcely credible ; but I assure 

 you that on both occasions I was close by, and 

 heard the words myself 



Mr. Chute had bought a horse called Whiskey, and 

 mounted George on him for one season. This horse 

 proved to be a capital hunter, by far the best that I 

 remember in his stables. The next season Mr. Chute, 



