ECHOES OF THE CHASE. 235 



copper ones, yet what a history of our national 

 sport might be compiled from tales they could 

 tell us of daring in the field. Among them all a 

 handsome silver horn, ornamented with a coat of 

 arms, stands out resplendent ; and this takes us 

 back to the year 1839, when, as we see by the 

 inscription, it was presented by J. S. W. Saw- 

 bridge Erie Drax, Esq., who never abated one iota 

 of his length of title, to his huntsman John Last. 

 Here, too, though of a more ordinary make, we 

 have the horn given to Jim Treadwell by Mr J. J. 

 Farquharson, whose faithful servant the old hunts- 

 man had been for twenty -one years before Mr 

 Farquharson's resignation in 1858. John Press's 

 horn, that he also received from Mr Farquharson 

 in 1871, long after the latter had retired from 

 office, jostles another which he used in the Black- 

 more Vale from the year 1864 ; and near at hand 

 are those of George Orbell of the B.V.H. and of 

 John Press the younger, who was huntsman 

 successively to the North Warwickshire, the 

 Meath, the Galway, and the Old Berkshire 

 Hunts. 



A story of old John Press which I have not 

 mentioned before may find a place here. That 

 good sportsman and fox-preserver. Major Dugdale, 

 w^ho knew that Press had buried his wife only a 

 couple of days before, went up to him while he 

 was drawing a gorse and expressed his sorrow at 

 the sad event. "Yes, sir," was Press's answer, 

 " but these sort of things must happen. Go in, my 



