136 MEN OF PAST DAYS. 



have referred to as being extremely fond of hunting 

 and shooting. Of the former sport he was always a 

 staunch supporter, being for many } T ears a master of 

 hounds. He was a bold and hard rider, and per- 

 formed many cross-country exploits of great difficulty, 

 in spite of the fact that he had defective sight and 

 always wore spectacles. Nor was this disability a 

 drawback to his shooting, in which sport he also ex- 

 celled. I have heard he could kill two-thirds of any 

 number of rooks on the wing that he fired at with a 

 pea-rifle ; and his aim was as unerring at long dis- 

 tances at a stationary object. No doubt this mastery 

 of them created and kept alive his fondness for these 

 pleasurable pursuits. 



He spent much time upon the moors; and it was 

 whilst so engaged that a curious adventure is recorded 

 as having happened to him. After walking from an 

 early hour in the morning till late in the evening, he 

 at last waded a brook up to his arrnpits to enable him 

 to get within reach, unobserved, of a herd of well- 

 antlered deer. This he accomplished satisfactorily. 

 But, to his great disgust, on pulling the trigger he 

 found that his keeper by some unaccountable thought- 

 lessness had not loaded his rifle. For this neglect 

 the unfortunate man paid a heavy penalty. 



I have not yet spoken of the eldest brother, the late 

 Duke, in those days known as the Marquis of Titch- 

 field. I never remember to have heard that he had 

 any love for, or was in any way connected with, field- 



