JOHN WHIDBORNE 191 



you to take care of the horse he mounted you on ; 

 at others, his orders were to "ride that horse's tail 

 off," which was only his pleasant way of telling you 

 to ride as hard as you pleased. If one was riding his 

 own horse and not dining at Brookside, there was 

 always gruel for the hunter and something, usually 

 sherry and biscuits, for the rider at any hour. Whid- 

 borne belonged to the sherry age and had some 

 excellent wine, and his sherry-glasses would have 

 satisfied some claret drinkers. Little time was spent 

 in refreshment on those occasions, as one was gener- 

 ally riding home with hounds. The scene in the yard 

 was a busy one : men with lanterns leading off tired 

 hunters or bringing out fresh horses for huntsman and 

 whip, who swallowed saucers of hot tea where they 

 stood ready on their mounting-blocks, with the pack 

 around them. Perhaps I dwell unduly upon these 

 details : if so, my excuse must be that it is difficult 

 to pass over in silence scenes that live in the memory 

 and circumstances small in themselves, but which led 

 to the establishment of a custom, persevered in for 

 eight-and-twenty years, of never passing Brookside 

 after hunting on that side of the country without 

 availing oneself of the welcome that was ever ready ; 

 a custom that ceased only on the death of Miss 

 Whidborne, that good sportswoman and kindest of 

 friends, who had taken up her residence permanently 

 at Brookside after the death of her father in 1890. 



In Whidborne's last season, 1884-5, the pack 

 resumed the name of " The South Devon " under the 

 following circumstances : — 



The first Lord Haldon having died in 1883, his 

 eldest son, on succeeding to the title, expressed a 

 desire to take on the pack then hunting the Haldon 

 side. Accordingly Mr. Studd resigned in his favour 



