A Chat with Sam Hills 103 



tion the run which led up to the capture of the treasure 

 now preserved with jealous care. How pleasant to derive 

 these inspirations from the fountain head ! 



" We met at Tatsfield," he said, " and found a fox in 

 Tatsfield Park — obviously a stout, straight-necked custo- 

 mer. He raced away to Deadman's Bank and over by 

 Skid Hill, Chelsham, and back through Titsey Plantation, 

 thence, after a splendid gallop, to Tatsfield, where we 

 found him, and he then sank the hill to Westerham, 

 where we killed him in the open. That was a capital 

 run of about two hours with plenty of pace and jumping. 

 I kept the brush because it was my last one, and also 

 because " 



He did not finish the sentence, but we could read, so 

 to speak, between the lines. It is not pleasant to have to 

 give up anything in this world, least of all hunting — 

 though age is sure to beat us in the end, even if we 

 manage to keep going till that climax is reached — and 

 lugubrious recollections are best suppressed to the utmost 

 practicable extent. They do not contribute to the 

 hilarity of mortals. We did not care to ask any more 

 questions about that last brush. It is one of the most 

 interesting hunting memorials we have seen. 



Though Sam Hills is a keen all-round sportsman, he 

 has never ridden in a steeplechase, not having a great 

 fondness for that exhilarating exercise. He has been 

 especially devoted to shooting and cricket ; he has seen a 

 great deal of fun, and has thoroughly enjoyed himself in 

 both departments. For many years he shot regularly at 



