A Chat with Sam Hills 105 



" They would no doubt have hunted with us," Sam 

 declared, "if we could have managed to have them out 

 on those occasions, and they enjoyed sport as much as 

 any of us." 



Fox hunting fox — on the principle of set a thief to 

 catch a thief — might have provided some amusing experi- 

 ences. It is a pity that Sam did not carry the experiment 

 into practical effect. His badger stories, too, are what 

 may be termed " extra." But, alas ! they do not come 

 within the scope of this history. 



To say that the name of Sam Hills will live as long as 

 that of the Old Surrey hounds is simply to enshrine a 

 platitude. He will never be forgotten in Surrey whilst 

 men love fox-hunting ; and we hope that they will always 

 continue to do so. And now the veteran huntsman 

 spends his declining years, the autumn of his life, in 

 comfort and honour, seeing hounds occasionally, and 

 surrounded by troops of friends. Surely a blessed 

 consummation ! 



