MASTERSHIP OF STAGHOUNDS 227 



that he was a thorn in the side of the Master of the 

 Buckhounds. He was exceptionally good-looking, as 

 may be judged from the numerous portraits of him 

 still in existence, and had what is commonly called " a 

 marked personality." But there can be no doubt that 

 he was a domineering man. However, somewhat to 

 my surprise. Lord Ribblesdale has bestowed unstinted 

 praise upon him. The reason for my surprise is that 

 Charles Davis had a strong objection to ladies in the 

 hunting-field, while, as will be seen from the remarks 

 of Lord Ribblesdale published at the end of this 

 chapter, his Lordship approves of ladies hunting. 

 However, Charles Davis was one of the chief mainstays 

 of the Royal Hunt for forty years, and has come down 

 to posterity as a prominent figure in hunting history. 



One of the great differences between riding after the 

 uncarted deer and fox-hunting is that in the pursuit of 

 your stag you are going the whole time, without any 

 checks for " mending bellows," such as you get in fox- 

 hunting. Also you are going at a very near approach 

 to racing pace. The horse which will carry you safely 

 over a cramped provincial fox-hunting country would 

 be of little use with the Berks and Bucks Staghounds, 

 as Lord Ribblesdale tells us in his history of the Royal 

 pack. 



"Thoroughbred horses, Dick Christian told the 

 ' Druid,' make the very best of hunters ; ' I never 

 heard,' he declared, ' of a great thing, but it was done by 

 a thoroughbred horse.' They certainly make the best 

 stag-hunters, for only blood and quality, legs and feet, 

 can stand the long distances, the long runs, and the 



