190 THE SOUTH DEVON HUNT 



could not stand the long days. Then William Derges, 

 who, as mentioned, had whipped in to Westlake, 

 was taken on. 



The William Paul mentioned above was a valuable 

 servant to Mr. Whidborne, being a good man on or 

 about a horse and not afraid of work. He had some 

 bad falls with young horses, having once been as near 

 breaking his neck as is possible without being killed. 

 He lay in bed for many weeks afterwards and his 

 head was never again straight, but he completely 

 recovered and years afterwards, when over seventy, 

 broke his thigh through a horse coming back on him. 

 He was also one of the old breed of coachmen who 

 could hit a horse from the box in the proper place 

 and with the proper effect. These hard-hitters of the 

 old school did not indulge in the perpetual slashing- 

 all-over of modern drivers ; they seldom hit a horse, 

 but when they did they hit him once and to some 

 purpose. 



Mr. Whidborne was over sixty years of age when he 

 undertook this, his second, mastership. He applied 

 himself to the duties of the position with all the 

 ability and all the thoroughness that had character- 

 ized him in his business. Besides being excellently 

 mounted, the men were well turned out, and no 

 necessary expense was spared, though there was no 

 ostentation or " swagger " about the establishment. 

 Mr. Whidborne was very generous in mounting his 

 friends, as my eldest brother and I have reason to 

 remember. He was also very hospitable, and a 

 " mount " usually involved breakfast and often 

 dinner at Brookside. His breakfast hour was eight 

 o'clock and, as he had strict views on the subject of 

 punctuality, one had to be early astir to hack out the 

 five miles and not be late. Sometimes he would tell 



