YORK AND AINSTY HUNTSMEN. 253 



never buckled on a spur. ' Lord, sir,' said Will, on one 

 occasion, to Mr. Tom Hodgson, when that gentleman told 

 him that he hoped to raise his wages the following year, 

 ' I want no more wages. I am as happy as a man can be. 

 ' Only let me be with the hounds, and I luish for nothing 

 more /' It is to be wished that there was more of old Will 

 Danby's spirit astir at the present day, and in other ranks 

 of life than that of the hunt servant. 



Will Danby's first introduction to hounds was at Hornby 

 Castle, where the Duke of Leeds kept a pack of hounds 

 which showed rare sport in the country extending thence to 

 the west moors. Danby's father was a farmer under the 

 duke, but like another farmer's son^ who made himself a 

 distinguished name as a hunt servant, Will loved hounds, 

 and was never happy when away from them. So he speedily 

 became a favourite with Kit Scaife, a famous man for kennel 

 discipline, who was the duke's huntsman, and who, when the 

 hounds were given up, was private trainer and manager of 

 the racing stud. It was a good school for a youngster to 

 be in, and during the seven years that he was under Scaife 

 Will learnt many a useful lesson. 



When the hounds were given up he brought eighteen 

 couples to the kennels opposite Knavesmire Gate, but taking 

 alarm at the strength of language of one of his new masters, 

 when the benches gave way under the weight of the hounds, 

 he went off in the night, and after a few seasons with the 

 Badsworth and Lord Scarborough's, took service with 

 Mr. Tom Hodgson of the Holderness, to whom he whipped- 

 in for several seasons. How Mr. Hodgson managed to hunt 

 four days a week with such a small establishment as he did 



(i) John Dale, the father of Will Dale of the Badminton. He was the son 

 of a Hampshire farmer, and when the Craven were once in low water he 

 whipped them in to them for nothing. He was subsequently huntsman to the 

 Earl of Glasgow, the Old Surrey, and other packs. 



c; 2 



