3 2 The Old Surrey Fox Hounds 



person on the other side said that Tom's success was due 

 to luck, and issued a challenge to play any member of 

 the Westerham Club for five pounds a side. Tom was 

 selected as their champion. He bowled his opponent for 

 three runs ; then went in and made forty, not out. His 

 friends gave him a glass of local sherry — whose quality 

 was, perhaps, of a fiery nature — for every run he scored, 

 and, strange to say, the wine had no effect on him while 

 he was playing, but when the excitement was over he 

 could not walk away from the wicket. " If I had scored 

 a few more runs at the same price," he remarked, with a 

 chuckle, " I might never have been able to get into my 

 stride again." 



Tom's " bump of locality " was largely developed. On 

 a certain occasion, a gentleman, who was hunting with 

 him, gave him a sovereign whilst he was drawing a covert, 

 and, in pulling ofT his glove, he dropped the coin. That 

 contretemps naturally elicited a short observation from 

 him — we need not mention the exact word, it is so 

 familiar — and, before he could get off his horse to retrieve 

 the treasure, a hound spoke. " Hark to Rampish ! " he 

 cried, and, sportsman-like, forgot all about the money. 

 Six weeks afterwards, passing the same spot, he thought 

 that he might just as well have a look for the sovereign, 

 and, sure enough, he found it on the top of an ant-hill. 

 " What a nose for the right scent ! " he chortled, " and, if 

 I hunted for coin instead of fox, I should, no doubt, have 

 plenty of money — five minutes before I die." 



After Tom Hills had seen fifty years' service, and had 



