34 



THE OLD PACK 



first took the horn. Was that the year 



before or the year after we went into 



trousers ? Anyhow, it is over a quarter of 



a century ago. He is as monosyllabic as 



ever, but the grip he gives your hand 



makes your fingers tingle. Close to him is 



Will, the kennel huntsman and whipper-in, 



who has been with the pack as long as the 



master, and is absolutely autocratic in the 



feeding-house, and very nearly so on the 



flags. Like his predecessor yesterday, he, 



too, is on the broad grin. Then there are 



a couple of the governor's cronies w^ho 



remember us in long clothes, and half a 



dozen farmers, some of whom do the same, 



whilst the others played cricket with or 



against us in the holidays later on. 



But the squire is not given to waste time. 

 With a slio^ht whistle, he turns his hoo-- 



