"OLD JOE" 307 



who gave up at the end of the few years, and was 

 succeeded by the present Marquis of Queensberry, 

 who hunted his own hounds. Joe therefore retired 

 from active service for a time, but at the end of 

 three seasons the Marquis resigned, and then, under 

 the Mastership of Mr. Johnstone at first, and after- 

 wards under a committee, Joe Graham resumed 

 the horn, and he hunted the country with credit to 

 himself and to the satisfaction of the subscribers, 

 till at the end of the season of 1879-80 he finally 

 retired from the profession of which he had been 

 so great an ornament. Joe Graham was a fine 

 specimen of the all-round sportsman, a good shot 

 both at pigeons and game, a finished horseman 

 either after hounds or between the flags, and, pos- 

 sessed of a thorough knowledge of woodcraft, he 

 was a popular man indeed in the North Countree. 

 He owned a few racehorses in his time, and his 

 victories on the historical Swifts at Carlisle were 

 not few. Old Joe, the Grand National winner, 

 once belonged to him, but he did not keep him 

 long enough, though once in his day he would have 

 liked nothing better than to have schooled that once 

 erratic animal himself. 



Of" Old Joe " as a steeplechase rider, and of his 

 connection with the Turf, I could tell many an 

 anecdote, and perhaps I may recur to his history at 

 some other time. It was as a huntsman that I 

 particularly wished to write of him on this occa- 

 sion, and I may say in conclusion that the sports- 

 men of Dumfriesshire erected a monument to him 

 which overlooks the fine valley of Annandale, which 

 he loved so well. It was suggested by an old friend 

 that a gorse covert should be planted near the monu- 

 ment, and perhaps some day this fitting memorial 



