102 FOX-HUNTING FROM SHIRE TO SHIRE 



old George Gillson said to him, in the hearing of 

 Mr W. Baird the master and others, " If you are 

 going to be a huntsman, my boy, what pack would 

 you like ? " 



" The Cottesmore, Mr Gillson ! " replied young 

 Tom, at which everybody laughed ! A compara- 

 tively short time afterwards, Mr Baird again met 

 young Tom journeying towards Cottesmore to take 

 up the duties of huntsman, recalling the fact of the 

 first meeting, which was a curious coincidence, and 

 should be a happy omen for success ! 



Very few of us recommend our own profession, 

 and huntsmen are no exception to the rule, so that 

 it is not surprising that Charles hoped his boy Tom 

 would go into business. At a critical period when 

 leaving school, he went to ride for Mr J. H. Stokes, 

 learning much that was useful in after life ; for 

 nothing would head him off, the one idea of his 

 existence, "to hunt the fox." Then there comes 

 another legend of his early days (for we have all 

 seen him grow up). His father being wise, said I 

 will dispel the glamour of the chase by sending him 

 second whipper-in to where he will have to rough 

 it, and it will probably cure him ! Before parting, 

 so the story goes, the father made his boy promise 

 three things which he would not do when in Ireland, 

 and these were, " not to turn Roman Catholic, not 

 to drink whisky, and not to play the piano." The 

 duties of whipper-in to an Irish pack, where scent 

 always serves, dispelled any doubt as to the boy's 

 intentions, and he was quickly back in England, 

 first whipper-in to Mr George Fitzwilliam at 

 Milton, by Peterborough, where accident to the 

 huntsman gave him the chance to carry the 

 horn, and kill his first fox. Between 1908 and 

 19 1 1 his name appears in the list of hunts- 



