THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 177 



Will Barrow to his "lasses," as he was used to call the 

 bitch pack : and, certainly, no human voice ever exceeded 

 his in a view-halloo or a cheer. But 



' What more grateful to the ear, 

 Than the voice that speaks to cheer ? " 



There was another very remarkable character, in the 

 shape of a sportsman of the old school, residing in the 

 town of Stratford, but a member of the Stratford Hunt, 

 and an intimate friend of Mr. Corbet. His name was 

 Stubbs ; and so insatiate was he of hunting, that, on the 

 vacant days of the foxhounds, he hunted with his own 

 harriers ; and, indeed, on one occasion, on a Sunday, when 

 a fox broke out of his saddle-room, during divine service. 

 " Saddle the dun horse," said he to his man, when he told 

 him what had happened, and he immediately put his 

 hounds on the scent. But what was most remarkable in 

 this very zealous fox - hunter, was the fact that, when 

 hounds ran straight across a country, he could neither see 

 nor hear him, as he could not persuade himself to leap 

 fences ; and yet, from his great knowledge of the country, 

 he was generally up soon after the finish, whatever that 

 might be. Mr. Corbet also surprised our hero by his great 

 dislike to fences, which he found it difficult to reconcile 

 with the enthusiasm he exhibited in the chase ; he, how- 

 ever, by being mounted on very speedy horses, and not 

 afraid to gallop over the worst sort of ground, saw a great 

 deal of the sport, appearing at times in a good place when 

 very little expected. And Frank Raby took a leaf out of 

 his book, as regarded his hunters, of wlaich he had always 

 a score of a very good sort. He purchased them, when 

 foals, from his tenants and other farmers in Shropshire, 

 which county has always been celebrated for good hunting 

 blood. 



Our hero's opinion of Warwickshire was this. He found 

 a great many bad fixtures for hounds in it, although it 

 was possible that, even from them, by taking a certain 

 line, a fine run, over a fine country, was on the cards. 

 For example, he went one morning a long distance to a 

 cover which was in bad repute with the Hunt, and 

 whence he was told he had scarcely a chance of a run. 

 The fox led him over twelve miles of country, at the very 

 best pace, with only one ploughed field by the way, no 

 river to cross, and only two brooks, and those not serious 

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