First Whipper-in. 127 



any rate when we were tired, it would be time for everyone 

 else to go home, and there was a good laugh about it. 



Mr. Fawcus, who went home in the morning when his 

 horse fell on the road, was delighted to hear of our good 

 run after his old favourite fox, and I wish we had killed 

 him, for he, Mr. Fawcus, always gave Claxon, me, and the 

 second whip a good tip whenever we killed a fox. We did 

 not know for a long time why he was always so anxious for 

 hounds to get blood, but it appeared that he had made a bet 

 of £50 with some sportsman of the Hurworth Hunt that the 

 South Durham hounds would kill more foxes in the season 

 than the Hurworth. I forget what the bag was, but Mr. 

 Fawcus won easily at the finish. We ran a fox to ground 

 pretty late in the season 1875-6, in a short drain from which 

 he could be easily bolted ; so in went the terrier at one end 

 and I went to the other to catch him with my whip thong 

 as he came out. There was a gentleman on horseback 

 standing near who was firmly of the opinion that the fox 

 had gone straight through and on, but I could wind him 

 plainly. " Jack," he said, " he 's not there," and almost in the 

 same breath said, " yes, he is, I can hear them." " Yes," I 

 said, " the kissing 's begun," and out he came at that 

 moment, and was caught as he passed me. Mr. Harvey 

 told me to give him plenty of law, and I let him get a field 

 start, but they killed him before he had gone very far. He 

 never looked like getting away from them. I had whispered 

 something into his ear ! 



I mentioned Mr. Charles Henderson, whose father was 

 sole master of the Durham County hounds, I believe in the 

 season 1861-2, and joint master with Mr. John Harvey, 

 when the country was divided into North and South Durham 

 in 1872; in fact, they were joint masters, I am told, from 



