THE DROOKSIDE HAKRIEES. 300 



rounded, and how terribly at times his hounds were over-ridden ! 

 "\\''onderful]y quaint also was he in manner, and caustic in re- 

 mark, as was shown one day when he was allowing his pack to 

 pick out a cold scent, inch by inch, up a valley. On a neigh- 

 bouring hill, a man who had viewed the hare was shouting at 

 tlie top of his voice, and gesticulating wildly with his hat in the 

 air to attract attention. Taking not the slightest notice of these 

 endeavours, Mr. Saxby was heard to say, apparently to himself, 

 " Ah ! sir, I should advise you to keep your hat on, or happen 

 you may catch cold." Some few years ago Mr. Saxby felt him- 

 self no longer able to fulfil his duties, and I believe the hounds 

 were then taken for a short time by Mr. John Yerrall of Swan- 

 boro', near Lewes — as smart a man over a country as was ever 

 seen ; but, although still in the prime of life, he had inherited 

 the fatal seeds of consumption, and was no longer fit for the 

 arduous duties of hunting hounds, and often had to fall back on 

 the services of Mr. J. Philcox, of Preston, who was then, and I 

 hope I may say still is, most zealous in his endeavours to pro- 

 mote the welfare of both the Brookside harriers and the South- 

 down fox-hounds. However, there was a promising young one 

 of the good old country stock coming on to take the horn, and 

 aft^r Mr. Charles Beard, who always had a share in the hounds, 

 and Mr. Philcox had managed the country for a year or two 

 subsequent to Mr. Yerrall's decease, Mr. Steyning Beard, of 

 Eottingdean, became master, built new kennels near his resi- 

 dence, and, with Jack Funnell, who had hunted them for a few 

 years, and was, as they say, born in the Brookside kennels, to 

 turn them, he has kept up the prestige of the pack and shown 

 wonderfully good sport for the last few seasons. 



In hunting his hounds Mr. Beard follows in the path pointed out 

 by Mr. Saxby, and leaves them very much to themselves ; in fact, 

 a quieter man for a young one I never saw handle the horn, 

 and I am sure he would have delighted even Beckford himself. 

 At the same time he is most persevering, and never gives up a 

 hare as lost while there is a chance of recovering her. He has, 



