102 THE SOLTH DEVON HUNT 



were also very good. But he was a comparatively 

 pcor man, and had to save his cattle as much as 

 possible, in which he was considerably helped by his 

 eye for a country and knowledge of the run of foxes. 

 A lady who knew liis talents in this respect, once 

 asked him at the beginning of a run where the fox 

 was going, and got for answer : "I don't know, my 

 dear. IVe not asked him, my dear ! " His great 

 knowledge of woodcraft and of the habits of foxes 

 was also of material assistance in his extensive and 

 rough country. 



Mr. Westlake was a North Devon man of the fine 

 old yeoman class. Before coming to South Devon he 

 Hved at the Manor House, Exboume, and kept a pack 

 of hounds kennelled near by at his own place, Wood 

 Hall, which property has been the home of the 

 Westlakes for nearly five hundred years. 



He first settled with his pack at Moretonhampstead 

 somewhere about the year 1861. what time the Rev. 

 William Courtenay Clack of the same place kept 

 a pack of harriers with which he hunted the country 

 around there. Mr. Clack was so strongly imbued with 

 the passion for the chase, that in later years when he 

 was going blind, he used to make his man ride before 

 him on a white horse ; and it was only when he was 

 no longer able to see his pilot that he gave up hunting 

 altogether. This, however, is no longer a record. 

 Last season (1914-15) I had the pleasure of meeting 

 in the field on Hal don Mr. Walker King who is stone 

 blind, despite which, chaperoned by his daughter, he 

 is a regular follower of the Devon and Somerset. 

 Truly a touching tribute to the strength of the ruling 

 passion ! 



Jn 1863, in consequence of Sir Hemy Seale being 

 unable to cover the whole of the South Devon 



