CHAPTER III. 



" Such hours, such days, too soon are o'er ; 

 Too few — Ah ! would that they were more." 



ON Thursday, the 27th of March, 1879, towards the end 

 of Sir William's first season, a notable event occurred 

 at the Town Hall, Stockton-on-Tees, when a testimonial 

 was presented to the late master, Mr. John Harvey, by the 

 members and friends of the South Durham Hunt. The 

 testimonial, to which there were no less than ninety sub- 

 scribers, consisted of a magnificent oil painting by John 

 Charlton, representing Mr. Harvey on his favourite brown 

 mare, cheering hounds on to the line of a fox, which he 

 had just viewed near Lea Close, with Sedgefield Church in 

 the distance. The mare is the celebrated Polly, and the 

 hounds are Bachelor,* by the Durham County Bluster, out of 

 their Wisdom, leading ; with Layman, by Lictor, out of 

 Rally ; Alma, by the Brocklesby Ambrose, out of Scandal ; 

 Rambler, by Ranger, out of Rally (and half-brother to Lay- 

 man) ; Artist, by Brocklesby Ambrose, out of Violet ; and 



* Bachelor, a Durham County bred one, was a puppy at walk when the dumb-madness broke 

 out. He was a grand specimen of a foxhound, and good as he looked. 

 " He guides them in covert, he leads them in chase. 

 Though the young and the jealous try hard for his place ; 

 'Tis Bachelor always is first in the race, 

 He beats them for nose, and beats them for pace " 



