MR. WASHINGTON M. G. SINGER 245 



the field, and, in addition to hunting and shooting, 

 soon took an interest in racing and chasing. As a 

 young man he was useful at polo, but that excellent 

 game, like cricket, has never prospered in South 

 Devon owing to the difficulty of finding suitable 

 levels for play or practice. 



Fond of hunting as Mr. Singer always was, there is 

 no doubt that he did not seek the honours, such as 

 they are, or the troubles, which are many, that 

 brighten or beset the life of an M.F.H. His coming 

 forward as he did, in conjunction with Mr. R. Vicary, 

 was dictated by feelings of public spirit and solely 

 with the object of saving the country from the 

 unquestionable disadvantage of committee rule. 



The joint-masters had had much misfortune to 

 contend with, but when Mr. Vicary retired Mr. 

 Singer had grown so keen that he volunteered to 

 continue in sole command and to hunt the country 

 at his own expense, stipulating only, and very wisely, 

 that the members should themselves provide a 

 damage fund of £250 a year and pay the rent of the 

 kennels and the expenses of keepers and earth- 

 stoppers and their annual dinner. 



Mr. Singer then succeeded in persuading Mr. Willie 

 Rendell to hunt the hounds. The pack had not been 

 hunted by an amateur huntsman since the days of 

 Ross, and the appointment of a man of some thirty- 

 eight years of age who had never actually hunted 

 hounds was looked upon in some quarters as rather a 

 bold stroke. So it may have been, but events proved 

 it a successful one and amply justified the master's 

 judgment. 



Mr. Rendell had hunted from boyhood, was a light 

 weight and a good horseman, and with his active 

 habits could almost be said to have that desirable 



