CHAPTER XXIV 



MR. WILLIAM WHITLEY AND MR. HERBERT 

 WHITLEY: 1915- 



Varied activities of the new joint-masters — Rearrangement of hunt duties — 

 Generous attitude of the Messrs. ^\Tiitley — Chief object of mamtaining 

 packs in war-time — New recruits to the field — Some personal notes — Hire 

 of hunters in the country — Other packs within the South Devon borders — 

 The Mid-Devon — The Silverton : assistance from Lord Devon and other 

 landowners : Mr. Pape on active service — Mr. Bninskill's : Mrs. Brunskill 

 hunts the pack in the msister's absence on service — Lady masters — 

 Hunting a school for waw — Conclusion. 



" Pode and Hamljm and Kelly are all of them good, 

 But old Beaufort's your mairk if you want the best blood." 



{The Chase. Geo. Templer.) 



THE anxiety as to the future of the hunt, subse- 

 quent on the loss of its master during war-time, 

 was of short duration. Negotiations were opened 

 with the Messrs. WiUiam and Herbert Whitley of 

 Barton Pines and Primley, whose generous action in 

 placing their polo ponies at the disposal of Major 

 Cooke Hurle when he was stripped of his whole stud, 

 has already been mentioned. That action in itself 

 was sufficient to stamp the brothers as sportsmen in 

 the best sense of the word. 



For some years Messrs. Whitley had identified 

 themselves very closely with the farming interest in 

 South Devon, and their views and influence had won 

 respect among the agricultural community. In 

 particular, they had devoted themselves, with marked 

 success, to the breeding of pedigree stock of every 

 sort. 



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