DORSET AND DEVON 97 



intimate friend of his was on a visit to my friend, and was kind 

 enough to offer to take me to Eggesford to see all that was to be 

 seen. What was a sufficient inducement to me, I w^as told by 

 several sportsmen in that country that I should see a very clever 

 pack of hounds in Mr. Fellowes's kennel. The day before I was 

 obliged to return home, therefore, we were booted and spurred 

 for the occasion, but the weather forbade us stepping beyond the 

 threshold of the door. Mr. Fellowes is also well known in the 

 sporting world as the owner of Escape, and also as a very extensive 

 breeder of thorough-bred horses. 



Some excellent stories are told of Stephen, Mr. Fellowes's hunts- 

 man, who has lived about thirty years in the family, and therefore, 

 in some degree, a privileged man. It seems, however, that he has 

 done credit to his master's good keep, and some of it, " as the sparks 

 fly upwards," has found its way into his nose. On a friend of Mr. 

 Fellowes's giving him a hint of its rubicund appearance, he gave the 

 following ingenious reason for the possession of it — namely, that he 

 "caught it by riding after his master over the cold moors." — " How 

 happens it," said my informant, " that your master has escaped the 

 same fate?" — "Why, Sir," said Stephen, " master is able to drink 

 his bottle of Port after his dinner, w4iich will keep the crimson frost- 

 work out of any man's nose." 



Another good thing is attributed to Stephen. Taking his hounds 

 to covert one morning, he was joined by a farmer who was notorious 

 for a good tap of cider. "Well," said Stephen in his hearing, "I 

 never will eat no more of those red herrings for my breakfast, for 

 they do make me so dry." Here we must admit Stephen hit his 

 fox cleverly ; but knowing nothing of his performance as a hunts- 

 man, of course I have nothing to say on that subject. For the same 

 reason, I must be equally silent on his master, w4io, I understand, 

 takes an active part in the field. His halloo, I am told — particularly 

 his " cover-hoik," when hounds are drawing — is remarkably melo- 

 dious and good, and his kennel discipline quite of the Spartan order. 

 I heard a great deal of a hound of his called Minstrel, and having 

 reason to conclude he was a model of what a fox-hound should be, I 

 hope he has preserved his blood in his kennel. 



I must not, however, dismiss Stephen, without mentioning one 



H 



