62 THE MASTER OF HOUNDS 



So many stories have been told of his marvellous 

 jumps that it is unnecessary to repeat them. He was 

 reckless to a degree, which can only be accounted for 

 by the fact that he was seldom responsible for his 

 actions. The popular belief has always been that he 

 drank himself to death ; but, though undoubtedly he 

 was a hard drinker, it is hardly creditable that a man 

 who lived almost entirely in the open air could have 

 died at such an early age through the abuse of alcohol. 

 The more charitable view to take of his death is that it 

 was caused by financial worries arising out of his bound- 

 less hospitality. I have always regarded him as a 

 modern Timon of Athens, the victim of circumstances 

 caused by those, who professed to be his friends. 



