294 THE SOUTH DEVON HUNT 



of the outlying portions of the country being properly 

 hunted is considerable and deserves recognition. 



To take the Mid-Devon first. This pack under the 

 successive management of several masters, among 

 whom Mr. S. V. Thomas, Mr. Lowndes Norton, Mr. 

 Hayter-Hames and Mr. G. Spiller have been the most 

 noteworthy, has rendered great service by relieving 

 the older hunt from the duty of visiting such a 

 remote part of its domains, and also by keeping the 

 moorland foxes on the move. Any relaxation of 

 pressure on the Mid-Devon side would undoubtedly 

 result in foxes from further south seeking the quiet 

 seclusion in the Vein country, to the detriment of sport 

 on the more accessible portion of the moor. With the 

 exception of the Fern worthy district, where the going 

 is of the best, the Mid-Devon country is rough and 

 wild. Nevertheless sport is often excellent. As has 

 previously been explained, ^ the position of the Mid- 

 Devon Hunt is that of a leaseholder for its own life 

 of that portion of the South Devon country that it 

 now occupies. The Mid-Devon Hunt being thus 

 autonomous, its doings have no place in this history. 

 It is to be hoped that its own will one day be written. 



Since January, 1909, the Haldon side of the 

 country, or the greater portion of it, has been en- 

 trusted to the Silverton. This arrangement has been 

 most successful. When it was first started, the 

 country was in a bad way. It had not been hunted 

 at all during 1904-5 ; in the next season the South 

 Devon were there only four times ; and in 1906-7, 

 six days only. From the end of that season until 

 January, 1909, the country was not visited by fox- 

 hounds. In fact, the hunting interest had been almost 

 completely squeezed out by the shooting interest. 



1 See chapter XVIII. 



