MODERN BEAGLING 235 



" The Harrier and Beagle Point to Point this year (1897) took 

 place near Barton. As N. 0. Walker superintended it, with B, 

 Hardy as his 'collaborator/ I need hardly say it was a success. 

 Tebbutt won three races and had a spill at the end. D. Harrison 

 hurt himself very badly, and Whitfield lost his horse, so that it 

 was rather a disastrous meeting for some. The only beagler who 

 distinguished himself was Balfour, who won the Beagle Sweepstakes 

 on one of Backhouse's numerous stud. Mather broke his collar 

 bone."— H. S. G. 



Seems to have been very good fun. 



Letter 



Nanpaxtan, Loughborough, 

 December 10, 1910. 



Dear Holland Hibbert — Let me congratulate you most heartily 

 on the proposed history of the T.F.B. As my Mastership was of 

 comparatively recent date, I am afraid I cannot give you much 

 information which you have not already got.^ 



When I first went up to Cambridge in October 1898, Mitford 

 was Master, and Backhouse, Buxton (L. G.), Gladstone, and Barry 

 whipped in to him. Mitford showed good sport and was well served 

 by his whippers-in. Cooper was a quite exceptional runner, and 

 Backhouse and Barry both hard workers. 



Mitford was followed by Gladstone. After Gladstone came Kidd, 

 who hunted them for one season. I was " down " for the two winter 

 terms as I had broken my thigh cubbing, but from all accounts 

 Kidd showed very good sport, was very keen, a hard worker, and a 

 good hound man. At the end of his first season Kidd appointed 

 Finch, Ptoberts, and myself as whippers-in, but then had to give up 

 owing to illness, and asked me to take them on, which I did in 

 May 1901. 



I had the hounds for the season 1901-2, and for 1902 up to 

 Christmas, when I went down. I think Godfrey Lawson could 

 supply you with particulars of my Mastership.- 



1 Fears quite groundless. There is less information forthcoming anent the modern 

 period than any other. - He has done so. 



