SPORTSMEN PARSONS IN 

 PEACE AND WAR 



Chapter I 



An Ancient Institution — The Prodigal Son in Pink — Sir Tatton Sykes Views Holy 

 Land Pictures — Hunting Attire in 1762 — Parishioners'Views of their Parson — 

 The Rev. J. W. Adams, V.C., in India — On the March from Cabul to Candahar 

 — Hunt Hounds — Wins the V.C. — An Eye-witness Tellsthe Story — Some 1875 

 V.C.'s — Ivan Heald in the Evacuation of the Dardanelles — The Padre in a 

 Smallpox Camp — An Uncomfortable Contretemps — A Run-away Drive — The 

 Padre's Preaching — He Returns to England — His Death — Lord Roberts 

 Erects a Memorial — The Padre's Charities. 



THE hunting parson is as old an institution as the Church 

 itself. In that book of books, the Bible, we read that 

 Nimrod, the hunter, became a mighty one of the 

 earth. 



I forget who the artist was who represented the Prodigal 

 Son in pink, breeches and boots, all complete. Perhaps it was 

 the same gentleman who once painted a catch of fish spread 

 out on the shore freshly unloaded from a fisherman's boat. It 

 represented a great day's sport, there being one each of a 

 variety of species, including a lobster of the roseate hue they 

 acquire after being introduced to the boiling-pot. 



When the late Sir Tatton Sykes was once being shown 

 some beautiful pictures of the Holy Land, and the artist was 

 breathlessly awaiting some words of appreciation of his wonder- 

 ful rendering of the haze peculiar to certain parts of Egypt, the 

 marvellous blending of colour in the sunsets, and so forth, Sir 

 Tatton remarked, " Must be a queer country to get across, very 

 queer." 



The olden-day monks, who were supposed to be the pioneers 

 of civilisation and easy virtues, were huntsmen — or perhaps I 



B 



