CHAPTER I. 



Mr. John Chapman, First Master of the 

 Wensleydale Hounds. 



M' 



R. JOHN CHAPMAN was Master of the 

 Wensleydale hounds for over forty years. 

 He was, perhaps, best known as " Old 

 Squire Chapman," although he never liked being 

 addressed as Squire. He used to say, Esquire 

 belonged to the tail of our aristocracy ; that he 

 was a British yeoman who owned sufficient pro- 

 perty to enable him to live comfortably and within 

 his income. He was an extraordinary man in 

 many ways. After wading whilst otter hunting 

 all day he would never change his clothes. 

 Frequently when he had not found his otter, or 

 had been defeated by him, he would stay all night 



