1 6 SIR VICTOR BROOKE CHAP. 



ently to be brought to London by his wife and brother 

 for further medical advice. For some weeks, with the 

 help of the greatest medical science and the most 

 devoted nursing, the struggle between life and death 

 was fought, but unavailingly, and on the 3rd August he 

 passed away. During that time his wife and brother 

 never left him, and it was very touching to see the big 

 strong man, for Brooke then was in the prime of health 

 and strength, nursing his dying brother with all the 

 gentleness of a woman. I speak of these things 

 from my own knowledge, having been present and 

 permitted to share their sorrow and care throughout 

 the illness. 



He was buried at Colebrooke, and with him passed 

 away much of Brooke's joyous nature. The old home 

 that had been so endeared to them both was never the 

 same to him afterwards. 



It was this grievous loss that made Brooke turn to 

 hunting as a sport that had no sad associations attached 

 to it. In the winter of 1884 he had some horses over 

 from Ireland, and hunted with the Pau hounds, and 

 the following year accepted the Mastership. 



Mr. Frederick Maude, whom he succeeded, had 

 much improved the sport by substituting the wild fox 

 whenever possible for the bag foxes that had been 

 previously used on the days no drag was run. Brooke 

 carried on this great improvement, and paid the peasantry 

 liberally to preserve the foxes, and taught them how to 

 stop the earths. All the Bearnais round about would 

 have done anything for him, and with their help he 

 transported from the Coteaux over seventy vixens, 

 loosing them in the middle of the hunting country ; and 

 by dint of many spare days spent in learning every 

 inch of the district, he was able to show rare sport, 

 accounting in seventy-one days' hunting for thirty-seven 



