First Whipper-in. 205 



about the misfortune, so volunteered to give it a real good 

 cleaning if lie would send it up to the kennels, which he 

 did ; I gave it a good soaking, scouring and thorough clean- 

 ing, and returned it in a condition which pleased the old 

 gentleman immensely ; he used to tell an amusing story 

 about himself, once on a very cold day putting down three 

 small glasses of cherry-brandy at Mr. Richard Forster's and 

 then riding home to Sedgefield ; when near home he had to 

 dismount, as he found the nectar flying to his head, and 

 finished on foot, leading his horse. Mr. Flavell was very 

 hospitable, and always had something ready for the field 

 and hunt servants, and my recollection goes back to many 

 pleasant calls at his house, and more especially to one 

 occasion, when he invited us to call on our way home after 

 a hard and cold day's hunting. Unfortunately when we 

 arrived the cellar key was wanting, and it turned out that 

 the old lady had, by mistake, taken it with her to Stockton 

 in her pocket, much to Mr. Flavell's and our disappointment. 



Mention of Mr. Flavell reminds me of old Bob Higgins 

 of West Layton, a very grand old sporting farmer, who used 

 to hunt and ride a bay pony cob ; he was a real foxhunter 

 and came, I think, from Claygills, near Stockton-on-Tees. 

 What a good puppy walker " Bob " was, and what interest 

 he took in it ! 



William Salmon, the chemist of Stockton, and his brother 

 John, of Elton (who is, I am told, as keen as ever), were 

 also good puppy men and fond of seeing hunting, generally 

 on shanks's pony or in a conveyance ; it didn't matter which 

 so long as they were there. Talking of carriages, familiar 

 faces at Foxhill were those of Mr. Anthony Maynard (who 

 took to wheels when he could no longer ride) and Mr. John 

 Wood, of Darlington, generally accompanied by one or two 



