18 Seventy Years a blaster. 



until I saw that fine old sportsman kill his last 

 fox in his final season, thirty-eight years later. 



My father, John Eace, — better known to 

 many hunting people through the pages of the 

 Sporting Magazine as '' Thistle Whipper " — 

 always kept a few hounds. At first his 

 "pack" consisted of a 26-inch bloodhound, 

 and a beagle which could trot under the 

 bloodhound with her stern up. But they had 

 fine noses, and some rare good sport he had 

 with them. Then he improved them by 

 introducing three couples of blue-mottled 

 hounds, and so, by buying a few and by 

 careful breeding, he eventually got together a 

 useful pack. 



The Biggleswade Harriers were started in 

 the year 1811, Lord Ongley, of Old Warden 

 Park, being the first in command. Then he 

 handed them over to Mr. Wells, who was 

 succeeded by Mr. Charles Barnett, of Stratton 

 Park. That gentleman, however, only kept 

 them one season, giving them up on account 

 of taking over the Cambridgeshire Fox-hounds, 

 and he passed them on to my father. I 



