48 Sportsmen Parsons in Peace and War 



carefully prepared and costly banquet. He would never sit up 

 late at night, and was usually up with the dawn. 



Not many men at the age of eighty-two can ride a horse 

 twenty -five miles home after a day's stag-hunting. He always 

 seemed insensible to fatigue, like old Sir Tatton Sykes, whose 

 feats of endurance were so remarkable. 



All the four years at Black Torrington the poor old sports- 

 man's health was faihng, and in 1883, with kind people about 

 him, he died. At his own request he was buried at Swymbridge, 

 by the side of his wife, in the parish he had shepherded for forty 

 odd years. 



At least a thousand people attended his funeral ; beautiful 

 flowers came from far and near, but some of the most touching 

 sights were amidst the cottagers, who came weeping with baskets 

 and aprons full of flowers to shower on to his coffin in the grave. 

 All sorts and sizes were there — lords and ladies, horse-dealers, 

 Gypsies, rat-catchers, old people, young children — all anxious 

 to pay a last tribute to the parson who preached moving sermons 

 from the pulpit, and still more moving sermons by everyday 

 life, of tolerance, love, and charity for all men. 



It was remarked a few years ago that there was nothing in 

 the church at Torrington to commemorate his years there. 

 The idea was no sooner mooted than all that was wanted was 

 collected, and now a brass is put up in the church to the memory 

 of the Rev. Jack Russell by his many hunting and sporting 

 parishioners, who cared for him more than a little. 



Mr. Russell was not a believer in the silent method of hunt- 

 ing hounds, I am glad to say. He liked to hear the cheery voice 

 of a huntsman better than the rating of a whipper-in. He could 

 carry his hounds through a fresh fox or two without changing 

 from the hunted one, and this by his voice alone, crying, " Come 

 forward ! Come forward ! "—that wonderful voice of his. 



Much of the pleasure of hunting in covert is lost under the 

 silent system, and I think there can be no doubt about which the 

 hounds like, best. 



