FIRST DAYS IN HANTS AND BERKS. 41 



leave off while daylight lasted, he had a wonderful 

 record of good days to his credit. 



A favourite terrier of Mr Deacon's that generally 

 ran with the pack was quite a feature of the hunt. 

 The terrier M'-as a smooth one, with a lemon-marked 

 head of the old stamp, and he could stay with the 

 best. When hounds ran to ground in one of the 

 numerous drains of the country, Mr Deacon would 

 wait till the terrier came up, which he generally 

 did in an incredibly short space of time. The 

 whipper-in would then stand with his foot over the 

 mouth of the drain till the terrier had got his 

 wind, and no sooner was the game little fellow put 

 in than it was made too hot for the fox, who would 

 reappear at the other end, and away we would go 

 ap-ain. So much did Mr Deacon think of this 

 terrier that I have heard him shout to some thrust- 

 ins- members of his field, " Take care of the terrier. 

 I would rather you killed the best hound in the 

 pack than injure him." 



I remember a very fast burst with the H. H. 

 over Herriard Park, when I was riding a strange 

 horse that was somewhat of a handful to manage. 

 It was a nutmeg grey, a steeplechaser, and he 

 began by flinging his head about a good deal. 

 Then directly hounds found, he jumped into his 

 bridle, and had things entirely his own way. 

 Luckily for me the hounds were going at racing 

 speed, or we should certainly have been on them. 

 We crossed the park at break-neck pace, and when 

 the park fence loomed full in view he was still com- 



