THE WAR AND THE FINAL TRIUMPH. 83 



from taking any active part in the administration of the College, 

 should have realised that the restitution of hunting at Eton was 

 a thing highly desirable in itself and in its result. 



The first of these letters appeared in the Chronicle of 

 Dec. 5th, 1918. It ran as follows : 



** Dear Sir, — Now that hostilities have ceased ought not the 

 Eton Beagles to be got together and start hunting once more? 

 If steps were taken at once to collect the hounds (which are now 

 out at walk) the School would have occupation and exercise next 

 Half. 



** Very few boys have had much chance to learn anything 

 about the sport of kings during the War, and the Eton Beagles 

 have always been the nursery of a large number of Masters of 

 hounds in this country. 



'* Yours truly, 

 '* THREE EX-MASTERS AND TWO EX-WHIPS 

 " OF THE E.C.H." 



This was answered by the Master, E. V. Rhys, in a letter in 

 which he stated that after a long discussion it had been decided 

 not to hunt owing 



(i) To the expense of food, etc. ; 



(ii) To the Cippenham works and their possible effect on 

 the E.C.H. 



During the Michaelmas Half 1919 J. F. de Sales La Terriere 

 took the matter in hand, and he may now have the satisfaction 

 of knowing that it was entirely due to him that the E.C.H. has 

 again been set on its legs. He confronted the Head Master on 

 several occasions and eventually secured his permission to collect 

 the hounds. Circulars had been sent to all the farmers, and 

 practically no unfavourable replies had been received. The 

 Head Master made three stipulations : that the Hunt must not 

 be subsidized from outside, that no Lower Boys should run, and 

 that hunting should close on March 20th. 



Experience has subsequently proved that the Slough Motor 

 Depot has not by any means spoiled the hunting country of the 

 E.C.H. True it has had the effect of putting an end to hunting 

 in the Salt Hill country, but many old Masters have expressed 

 their opinion that they would never willingly have hunted there 

 at all owing to the danger of the railway to hounds. 



La Terriere had to surmount many difficulties in his work of 

 getting the hounds back. He has told the story in his own words 

 in the Journal Book : 



'' As we were in a muzzled area, I went down to the Police 



g2 



