THE ANCIEN REGIME 91 



been half-drowned in one of the ditches. When Howard went down 

 I think he lent the Beagles to Trinity, and I subsequently bought 

 most of them from him, and kept them at home at Farnborough 

 Hill in Hampshire. I believe that the Trinity Beagles were origin- 

 ally started by one of the Trinity Dous, whose name I quite forget, 

 and I think that Harry Howard preceded him. Howard, however, 

 could tell you this himself. If I had any journals, I rather think I 

 handed them over to Vickers, but this is very uncertain. If there 

 are any definite questions you would like to ask, I wdll do my best 

 to answer them. 



With regret that I am unable to help you more, and every wish 

 for the success under your Mastership of the Trinity pack. — Believe 

 me, yours sincerely, George H. Longman. 



Lord Ebrington's letter marks the last of the riding Masters. 

 Mr. Longman's shows again how easily memory can fail one over 

 details. It is clear from the books that H. C. Howard held the 

 hounds on through the season 1872-3, and also that the late V. W. 

 Vickers took them over in the October term of 1874, so that Mr. 

 Longman's Mastership is fixed as extending over but one season, 

 1873-4. The most confusing matter is that of the actual pack. 

 The outgoing Master is sure that he took his pack away with him, 

 and C. J. Cropper is not only of the same mind, but knows where 

 the new pack came from, viz. a Mr. Eicardo of Maidenhead, and 

 the succeeding Master feels sure that though he introduced new 

 blood the bulk of the pack was handed on to him. It is quite clear 

 that in September 1873 a pack was assembled in Hampshire, and 

 that when they came up for the Term some of the hounds crossed 

 London in a four-wheeler. Also C. J. Cropper seems to have the 

 clearest memory of what happened all those years ago, so probably 

 the bulk of the pack was new, but it may well have been stiffened by 

 some of Howard's hounds. It is only the German pundits who can 

 solve such a knotty historical point, and I give it up ! 



All contributions concur in testifying to Vickers' great running 

 powers, which were remarkable for so tall a man : long-distance 

 runners, especially over heavy country, are usually light weights. 



