60 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE GOLDEN AGE, 1899 — 1914. 



It was in 1899 that the Golden Age of the E.C.H. began. 

 Every hunt has had its periods of prosperity, and for fifteen 

 years after this date the sport shown by the E.C.H. was all 

 that could be desired. It was a sudden and unexpected revival, 

 and it may be said to have been entirely due to the energy and 

 keenness of Francis and River sdale Grenfell, the twin sons of 

 P. du P. Grenfell of Wilton Park, Beaconsfield. The extra- 

 ordinary career of these tw^o boys has already been portrayed by 

 John Buchan. Tw^o more gallant Englishmen never lived. As 

 a life-long friend of theirs wrote, '' I would gladly do anything 

 to keep their memory alive." 



They accomplished three things for the E.C.H. They built 

 the new kennels, they bought a new pack of hounds, and 

 last, but by no means least, they secured the services of George 

 Champion as kennel huntsman. And in their time also the 

 services of the late Mr. R. S. de Havilland were enlisted as 

 treasurer for the Hunt; services which were invaluable, in spite 

 of his repeated protests that he had next to nothing to do. A 

 great deal of work devolved on him ; the control of the finance, 

 and the auditing of the accounts; occasional visits to angry 

 farmers ; the task of general representative of beagling for the 

 Head Master, and the duty of warding off the attacks of the now 

 defunct ** Humanitarian League," a duty in which he suffered a 

 great deal of unjust abuse ; all these and many other tasks were 

 patiently and successfully undertaken by him. 



The building of the new kennels w^as the first accomplishment 

 of the Grenfells. The scheme had been suggested by their 

 brother, R. S. Grenfell, in 1894 ; and proceedings had even gone 

 so far as for circulars to be printed, but difficulties arose as to 

 the Army Examination, and he had to leave too soon. This 

 brother had been killed at Omdurman in 1898, but his idea did 

 not die with him, and directly Francis Grenfell was appointed 

 Master he began the task of raising sufficient money for the 

 buildino: of real kennels. 



