170 HUNTING TOURS. 



in tke field to convince me of this, irrespective 

 of the good character I heard of them. Their 

 performance, on the day I met them at Hall 

 Court, when they ran into their first fox in 

 one hour and twenty minutes, and their second 

 fox, which they found at Cowarne, in one hour 

 and ten minutes, was quite sufficient to con- 

 vince me of their capabilities. I never saw 

 hounds settle down to the scent more quickly, 

 if so quickly, as they did with the last ; and 

 I am sure it must have been highly gratifying 

 to that excellent sportsman, Mr. Thomas, 

 who has given up horse exercise, but who 

 was present on foot, to see so beautiful a find, 

 and such a gallant fox break away from his 

 favourite old covert, and the hounds doing 

 their work in such exquisite style. George 

 Hills, a nephew and pupil of the ever-renowned 

 Jem of Heythrop fame, hunted these hounds 

 till the spring of 1863, when he made an 

 engagement with Major Murray as huntsman 

 to the Ludlow. Thomas Carr, who had offi- 

 ciated as whipper-in, was then promoted. 



