268 THE SOUTH DEVON HUNT 



questionable privilege of drawing Lustleigh Cleave 

 from time to time by arrangement with Mr. Brunskill. 



A new departure, originating with the new master, 

 was the inauguration of a Hunt Ball, which has since 

 become a regular annual institution and is held 

 sometimes at Newton Abbot and sometimes at 

 Torquay. 



At the end of Mr. Brunskill's first season, the hunt 

 found itself in the unwonted position of having a 

 sum of £100 to the good. With a prodigality that 

 the committee had cause to repent at the end of 

 the following season, when the normal condition 

 of affairs, shewing a considerable deficit, was restored, 

 this sum was handed to the master on the understand- 

 ing that he would continue to hunt the country for 

 another five seasons. 



Mrs. Brunskill was a valuable ally of her husband 

 and of great assistance to him both in and out of the 

 field. She was a dashing rider and a good horse- 

 woman, qualities not necessarily inseparable, and, 

 in addition, she knew every point in the game, and 

 was far quicker than most of the field at seeing what 

 should be done and doing it. All this, without ever 

 detracting from that womanliness that, say what 

 they will, in their hearts men love. A soft word and 

 a gentle smile from her smoothed many a ruffled 

 feather. Although handicapped by having to wear 

 glasses, she always managed to keep in the first 

 flight. This was particularly noticeable on a certain 

 occasion when the pack raced a fox to death in 

 twenty-three minutes from Bag Park to Beetor, 

 under the bewildering conditions of a thick fog and a 

 blinding snowstorm in our faces all the way. The 

 pack and the master were soon out of sight, and the 

 rest of the field were glad to follow Mrs. Brunskill's 



