MR. S. REYNELL AS M.E.H. 51 



to point out the perfections of his hounds. * Leave 

 them alone,' he would say ; ' they will pick it up all 

 right, even if the fox has been gone an hour, and we 

 have to stick to it for half as long again.' 



I have witnessed some wonderful performances of 

 his at times. Fifty successive years of mastership 

 well Grained him the title of the father of our M.F.H. 

 Some of the masters of other packs would have 

 profited not a little had they more frequently attended 

 his meets, and watched the patient, careful manner in 

 which he would hunt up to a fox, even under the most 

 adverse conditions. Indeed, one of our oldest and 

 best sportsmen, the master of the Louth, Mr. Filgate, 

 was one of his pupils, and learned from him the 

 same patience and perseverance, and is equally suc- 

 cessful as he was. As regards knowledge of hunting, 

 no master in Ireland can equal him. I know no one 

 who can account for a fox as he can, no matter how 

 trying the circumstances in the way of bad scenting 

 days, or the many drawbacks which now and again 

 arise to interfere with sport. It is far too often the 

 case in these more modern days that young masters 

 have too much of the * flash-in-the-pan' style about 

 them. If they don't get a ' burst,' as may happen but 

 once in fifty times, it is all up with them, and sport is 

 spoiled through their own over-eagerness and that of 

 the field. They can't control the latter, nor can they 

 control themselves, and thus in their anxiety to get 

 away they lose many a good run. And nothing can 

 be more detrimental to sport, or more despicable in the 

 eyes of all true sportsmen, than a master who rides to 

 sell his horses. A few of the younger portion of the 

 field may perhaps flatter him, but such a style of thing 



