A Chat with Sam Hills 93 



the best Old Surrey times ; runs are far less brilliant — 

 such were some of the points on which he expatiated 

 with animation. It was a pleasure to hear the words of 

 wisdom come trippingly off his tongue. 



" We used to have from a hundred to a hundred and 

 fifty mounted followers," he declared, "and they included 

 nearly all the great landowners of the district, all keen 

 supporters of the Hunt. Nowadays there are few of that 

 class who are seen out with our hounds. The old gener- 

 ation has died out, and the young lot do not seem to take 

 kindly to hunting — at least, not in Surrey. The result is 

 that the existing prospects do not seem to be particularly 

 rosy." 



Here the raconteur sighed, and lost some of his sparkle 

 of visage. The idea that hunting is not what it was, that 

 the Old Surrey runs are less splendid than they were in 

 the brave days of old, caused him to assume a rather 

 lugubrious aspect. But not for long. Talk about hunt- 

 ing cheered him up : it is certainly a brisk tonic for any 

 well-regulated mind. 



" Practically," he went on, as if intent on getting his 

 second wind, " we used to have the country from Penge 

 to Ashdown Forest, and much of that near to London is 

 now devoted, alas ! not to hunting, but to bricks and 

 mortar. Streets and villas," he sighed, " not foxes and 

 hounds." 



The change is sufficiently drastic, not a little regret- 

 table ; and, having regard to the general local conditions, 

 we may anticipate an even more extensive development in 



