90 The Old Surrey Fox Hounds 



was naturally proud of the accomplishments of his 

 youngster. Tom was then — it is almost needless to add 

 — one of the most popular characters connected with the 

 grand old sport in Surrey. When he was seventeen, Sam 

 went as first whip to Mr. Waldo, of Stonewall Park, who 

 had then a pack of fox-hounds of his own, and appears 

 to have been a very gay, enterprising sportsman. Sam 

 remained there for three seasons, and the pack does not 

 seem to have had a long term of existence. A short life 

 and a merry one was, perhaps, the idea aimed at. 



" We hunted anybody's country," Sam observed, with 

 a roguish twinkle, " and had some first-rate runs. The 

 kennels were at Hever Castle. I can remember killing a 

 fox close to the water jump on the present Lingfield race- 

 course, and thereby hangs a tale. The farmer was a can- 

 tankerous old party, and objected to us strongly. c Don't 

 come hunting here again,' he growled, when we had 

 killed the fox ; but, after a time, our Master, a very per- 

 suasive gentleman, got round the old chap, and we 

 actually went to his house after the final ceremonies — it 

 was a bitterly cold day, and we were drenched to the 

 skin — and cleared him out of liquid refreshment. The 

 next day Mr. Waldo sent him from Tunbridge a supply 

 of wines, spirits, etc., sufficient to last him for years, and 

 the heart of the cantankerous one was won. c Come 

 hunting when you like,' he said, after a pleasant gurgle 

 or two, c and I don't mind if you kill several foxes in 

 my best bedroom.' That was certainly not a bad way of 

 settling a hunting difficulty." 



