CHAPTER V. 



"Sweet to relax life's sterner rule, 

 The motley don, and play the fool ! " 



ABOUT a fortnight later, January 26th, 1883, the first 

 South Durham Hunt Ball was held in the Corn Ex- 

 change, Stockton-on-Tees, and was very largely attended ; 

 its success was, in a great measure, due to the energy dis- 

 played by Mr. George C. Whitwell, who looked after the 

 secretarial duties and made excellent arrangements for the 

 comfort and amusement of the two hundred and fifty guests. 

 The same afternoon there appeared some verses, entitled 

 The Lay of the South Durham Hunt, by " Scarlet and 

 Green," which might not be entirely devoid of interest if 

 inserted here, as reference is made to all those who may 

 be said to have hunted regularly with the hounds at this 

 time ; the names are now for the first time appended. 



THE LAY OF THE SOUTH DURHAM HUNT, 1882. 



I. 



Hurrah for our country, our horses, our hounds ; 

 Hurrah for the holloa, and the horn's cheery sounds ; 

 Hurrah for the fox, who to give him his due, 

 Keeps his neck ever straight, be it in covert or view. 



