THE ANCIEN REGIME 97 



some 50 to 60 members. AVhen I joined Walter Cunliffe (Trinity) 

 was Master, and the other members of the committee \yere H. C. 

 Irving (Trinity), Roger Cunliffe (Trinity), John Beck (Caius), and 

 John Dent (Trinity). 



In October 1878, none of the above being up, I called on W. B. 

 Connop, E. C. Meysey- Thompson, H. Scarlett, H. Kelsall, all of 

 Trinity, and E. T. Wilson of Jesus, to help me ; and in 1879 Row- 

 land Hunt (Magdalene), Haines (Trinity), and Johnson (Christ's), 

 took the place of Scarlett, Connop, and Wilson. In January 1877 

 we thought it would be a convenience if the committee were dis- 

 tinguished in some way, and it was decided to wear green cloth 

 hunting caps, but the feeling was against anything more in the way 

 of uniform. So we stuck to our old shooting suits, which gave 

 " Mother " Hunt a free hand, which was a great comfort to him. I 

 can remember him coming out with one boot and one shoe on, 

 having failed to find the proper match ; and as his bedmaker was not 

 much of a comfort to him, if he tore his knickerbockers he mended 

 the hole up with a thorn for propriety's sake ! 



In 1876 we seem to have bred three pups, all turning out well, 

 and they were in the pack in 1880 — Flirt, Frolic, and Lapwing. In 

 1878-79 Whynot, Warlike, Warrior, Waspish, Wanton, and Work- 

 man, all out of Wilful by Marksman. They were entered in 

 November of that year. In March 1879 were born Famous Finder, 

 Firefly, Fair Maid, and Fanny out of Frolic by Harkaway — Frolic 

 being the daughter of Novelty and Blackberry in 1876, so that by 

 this time we had a nice lot of young hounds. 



1877-78 was not a good season, as we were suffering from loss of 

 the leading hounds at Easter 1877 ; and also it seems to have been a 

 bad scenting year, though there was at any rate one notable excep- 

 tion, namely November 9, when we met at Mr. Ivatts's farm at 

 Rampton for a " riding day." We found a hare near the farm-house, 

 and ran through Long Stanton almost to Swavesey station, and 

 crossed the " big drain " which brought four of us to grief, and one, I 

 think Currie of Caius, was about an hour before he finally got out 

 with the help of a plough -team, as the bottom was very boggy. 

 After this hounds ran for two miles without a check, and we finally 



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