298 NIMROD'S HUNTING TOUR 



and so on, adding the y to the termination of every name that can 

 receive it, and otherwise corrupting it when the y does not sound 

 prettily to the ear. Thus, then, the eldest of these hrothers, Thomas, 

 was called Tommy ; the second, Lozalure, is dubbed Lozzy, and still 

 farther corrupted by his particulars ; and Matthew is known by no 

 other appellation than Matty, or Mattha Wilkinson, maister of and 

 hoontsman to the Hurworth Hounds. These are what critics term 

 " the abortions of familiarities;" but it would be useless to adopt 

 any other phraseology ; so I shall take the liberty of adhering to the 

 vulgar tongue. 



The Hurworth Hounds were originally harriers, but were pro- 

 moted to fox-hounds thirty-six years ago, nearly thirty of which 

 they were kept at his sole expense by the eldest brother Tommy, 

 who died about seven years back. Tomni}-, I was informed, had 

 the advantages of education, was a very superior sportsman, and 

 his view-halloo, which was magnificent, is said to be still echoed in 

 Hutton Eanby Woods. Lozzy comes next in the first page of the 

 Family Bible. He resides at Heigington, not far from Eushyford, 

 but about ten miles from the kennel, and of course contributes to 

 the expense of the hounds. He is very keen ; rides any distance to 

 covert — in the old style — on his hunter ; and thinks lightly of twenty- 

 five miles home in the dark after a good run. He also is esteemed 

 a fair sportsman. 



Matty, however, is the hero of my tale ; and his character is 

 described in a few words. He boasts of no scholastic education, no 

 collegiate reading ; neither does he appear to be much under the 

 discipline of art. But of this he may be proud — he keeps a pack 

 of fox-hounds on perhaps smaller means than almost any other 

 man in England ; and he is acknowledged by all to be as good a 

 rough-and-ready sportsman as ever halloo'd to a hound. He is 

 likewise much esteemed amongst his neighbours as a kind-hearted 

 man — a character, indeed, true sportsmen for the most part lay 

 claim to and maintain. 



I did not see the Hurworth kennel ; but it is situated at Measham, 

 about five miles from Darlington, and I am told is not badly arranged 

 for convenience and health of hounds. Here Tommy, the whipper- 

 in and feeder — one and the same man — with his wife and six 



