Some Great Runs with The Old Surrey 65 



preserved in his snuggery, he remarked : " That customer 

 gave us one of the best runs that I can remember with the 

 Old Surrey, and I have taken part in a large number." 

 He chuckled with delight naturally, and we pressed — it 

 was the duty of a historian to do so — for additional 

 particulars. He responded nobly as thus : — 



" Perhaps this run which I am about to describe took 

 place more than forty years ago, but I have no record of 

 the exact date. We met at Piatt's Green, Caterham, and 

 found in Tupwood. The fox went away with rare dash 

 to Tilburstow Hill, and next through Lagham Woods ; 

 thence he skirted East Grinstead and Forest Row, being 

 killed about seven miles this side of Lewes. It was quite 

 a twenty miles' run, and no fewer than three horses were 

 killed before it was ended. The general opinion was that 

 we must have changed foxes ; a vixen was killed. Mr. 

 Mortimer and Mr. Nicholls were then joint Masters, and 

 Tom Hills huntsman. Amongst those in at the death, 

 a select body, were Mr. Mortimer and Tom Hills, both 

 on their second horses, also Sam Hills, whip, and myself 

 on the same horse on which I had started. We had a 

 twenty-seven miles' ride home to the kennels. The first 

 part of this run was on grass, and there was plenty of stiff 

 jumping all the way." 



A chat with Tom Gilbert as to the doings of the Old 

 Surrey hounds is extremely interesting. He has a 

 marvellous memory for the great runs which were enjoyed 

 years ago, and he is able to describe them as vividly as if 

 they had occurred the day before yesterday. Here is his 



K 



