>m. R. VIC.\IIY &: ^m. W. M. G. SINGER 235 



position beside a large boulder at the top of the mass 

 of granite stones forming the chtter. Mr. J. J. Cross 

 was standing within a yard or two of Collings, under 

 whose directions Doney. the second whip, and a 

 groom from Buckland Court were engaged below in 

 pulling out the smaller stones to facilitate the 

 terrier's movements. Suddenly, on the removal of 

 one particular stone which proved to be the founda- 

 tion-stone of the pile, the whole mass gave way and 

 came down with a run, bringing Collings with it ; the 

 huge top boulder, estimated to weigh at least three 

 tons, pitched on the poor fellow and then rolled on 

 for a short distance. CoUings was crushed like a fly 

 and killed instantaneously. The others just escaped 

 by throwing themselves out of the way. 



The few people who composed the field that day 

 were waiting in the upper drive. Among them was 

 Dr. F. E. Little, who kept a lonely vigil over the body 

 by the banks of the cr\ing Dart until a conveyance 

 could be obtained, and then took the dead huntsman 

 home. On Mr. Cross and Doney fell the duty of 

 taking the pack back to the kennels and breaking the 

 news to Mrs. Collings. 



We biu-ied the poor fellow at Denbury on Christmas 

 Eve and he was carried to liis crrave bv some of his 

 " intimates." A great number of people attended. 



The untimely death of CoUings was indeed a 

 calamity for the himt. He knew the country inti- 

 mately and the people in it, among whom he had 

 become ver\" popular, for they understood him and 

 appreciated, fully as well as did the members of the 

 field, his success as huntsman. He was always 

 desperately keen, and nothing was too much trouble 

 if it tended to promote sport. 



The masters had a difficult task in finding a sue- 



