208 THE BOOK OF THE OPEN AIR 



how these wanderers and petty pil- among the gentry, but among the 



ferers used to keep guard over his peasants and farmers and fishermen, 



poultry yard ; and on one occasion at those traits are to be recognized, 



least, when the presence of a gang Any day out with the Devon and 



of burglars was suspected, patrolled Somerset the observant stranger shall 



around his house all night, unknown note a score or two of yeomen and 



to him, to secure it from attack, farmers, robust and thick-set, of an 



Stories, again, of the times he has infinite solidity, and with just the 



ridden the fifty miles from Iddesleigh same confirmed toughness and power 



to Four Hole Cross on the Bodmin of endurance that all the products of 



Moors on his way to the west in the the moor have. They are of one stuff, 



dark of a winter morning, and after these yeomen, with the deep-chested 



hunting all day ridden home again by kindly fisherfolk of the coast hamlets, 



starlight ; or of his ride from Delamore who, as I have said, spend their time 



seventy miles home across the moor between Atlantic surges and fuchsia- 



on the last of six consecutive days' covered cottages, and experience 



hunting, he being then in his seventy- Nature's buffets and rewards turn 



ninth year. There is no end to such and turn about. 



tales. The next time the reader goes 

 Add, I say, these different kinds of down to that country to those cliffs 

 anecdotes together and you have the and hamlets, and roses and rocks, 

 reason of Jack Russell's fame. Nothing and wild moors and green valleys 

 in any sense great or really noteworthy let him take with him the thought of 

 is recorded of the man. He was the blending of these opposite char- 

 simply a very kind-hearted, very acteristics of sweetness and toughness, 

 tough-bodied fox-hunting parson. All Let him look at the country and talk 

 the same, he was the figure-head of to the people with that thought in 

 a big bit of England. Any one who his mind, and he will find, I think, 

 had knowledge of the West could that he holds a clue to much of the 

 recognize, broadcast, the Jack Russell meaning latent in West Country 

 traits. To this day, not so much scenery and character. 



