First Whipper-in. 125 



which I knew again at once, was sent to the kennels, 

 having been picked up dead. We examined him carefully, 

 but could not trace the cause of death, though he appeared 

 to be healthy, and had a wonderfully fine mouth. The tusks 

 were forwarded to Mr. Fawcus, and, I believe, that he laid 

 great store by them. That was the best all round fox for 

 sport that I ever saw, and you could rely upon him for a 

 run of an hour or more if there was any scent. I read in 

 some sporting newspaper the other day that every fox in 

 the United Kingdom was worth £400; at least that was the 

 amount of money expended upon him in one way or another. 

 I hope it is true, but if any ordinary fox is worth £400 this 

 old chap was worth half-a-million ! 



We once, in 1875 (I forget the date, but think that it 

 was early in the season 1875-6)* had nearly four hours after 

 him, and it always seemed to be his line. I believe that we 

 met at Wolviston that day, with a good field out, and hounds 

 fairly ran us to a standstill. The first run was twenty-five 

 minutes from Noddings whin, a good ring round by Wynyard 

 to ground in Wolviston rookery, just in front of hounds. 

 Me and Mr. Fawcus stopped back to see if there was any 

 chance of getting him out, but after five minutes' digging 

 we found that it was fruitless, so left him. On going from 

 Wolviston, along the Sunderland road, Mr. Fawcus' horse 

 trod on a loose stone, and came down and broke his knees 

 badly, and so Mr. Fawcus went back to Sedgefield, not having 



• This run took place on November 1st, 1875. Hounds were stopped at 4-50 p.m. after running 

 for three-and-a-half hours without a check. The Wilson mentioned was Mr. William 

 Wilson, brother-in-law of Mr. John Beach, who had given him a mount on his show 

 horse " Jimmy," for which he had given £200. "Jimmy" was a fine hunter as well as 

 a show horse, but went wrong in his feet soon after this. He was six years old at the 

 time, and Mr. Wilson got him for an "old song" from Mr. Beach, hunted him sound, 

 and sold him to a North Durham gentleman, whom he carried well for two or three 

 seasons, eventually dropping down dead on the high road, the result of heart disease. 



