96 The Sedgefield Country 



narrates his reminiscences in the succeeding chapters in 

 practically his own words, and tells the story of his life 

 which need not be repeated here. He was not anxious to 

 obtrude his quaint doings and sayings upon the world, 

 but many who hunted with him have not once, but 

 repeatedly expressed a wish that they might be in possession 

 of an authentic record of the principal of them, and it 

 only remains to hope and trust that they may receive 

 some gratification from a perusal of his narrative. Un- 

 doubtedly the great secret of Bevans' success as a first 

 whipper-in lay in his extraordinary knowledge of Woodcraft. 

 His own words "Educated with the Keepers" meant a 

 great deal more than at first sight appears. The "keepers" 

 were the servants of the keenest fox-preserver of the day, 

 who would have foxes and pheasants, and succeeded in 

 having what he desired, and Bevans' education in the 

 woods gave him an insight into the habits, methods, 

 and peculiarities of a fox which a town-bred youth, who 

 aspires to be a hunt servant, never does and never can 

 acquire ; he was an apt pupil, being somewhat of the 

 terrier nature himself, tracking a fox by nose and spoor, 

 making a mental note of everything that tended to 

 throw light upon its presence in any given spot ; its 

 probable line if disturbed, its action if headed, dependent, 

 of course, upon what he heard or observed in the distance 

 or noticed on the horizon ; the darting or swooping flight 

 of a rook, the crow of a cock pheasant as he rose all 

 disturbed to his perch ; the long sustained chatter of a 

 magpie,' even the frightened call of a blackbird all 



• Bevans could always tell from the movements of magpies whether there was a fox 

 about ; I remember once hounds crossing from Stillington Moors to Brunton's planta- 

 tion (now called Howe Hills plantation); "Jack" galloped on to the south-west 

 corner; as I passed him he said "There's a brace afoot there; there's magpies 

 chattering on two different lines," and true enough when hounds were put in out 

 came a brace of foxes. 



