232 THE OLD BERKS HUNT 



Master. The coverts at Kingston, Hinton and 

 Pusey were drawn and plenty of foxes found, 

 but with no great result. After a few weeks, 

 being dissatisfied with the sport shown by 

 his hounds, Mr. Greaves consulted Mr. Charles 

 Duffield who told him he would not have 

 good sport so long as Nicholls hunted the 

 hounds. "Then he shall go at once," replied 

 Mr. Greaves. " I know a man' from the 

 Quorn, now hanging up his boots, who is 

 just the fellow for this job, I'll send for him." 

 He did so, and in a few days John Tread well 

 appeared upon the scene, soon to put quite 

 a different face on matters. Nicholls claimed 

 a year's wages from Mr. Greaves in lieu of 

 notice, and went to law about it. The case 

 was finally decided on May the 20th, 1864, 

 by four judges sitting in the Court of 

 Appeal, when judgement was delivered as 

 follows: "A huntsman is a menial servant, 

 and therefore, though he be hired at 

 yearly wages, and with the right to receive 

 perquisites — which cannot be fully received 

 until the end of a year's service — the hiring 

 is presumed to be subject to the condition 

 that it may be determined by a month's 

 notice at any time." 



This was a " leading case " and no doubt 

 settles the law still, though it is usual to give 



