The Rev. Charles Slingsby 91 



bed had been restless and miserable for some days, hardly 

 taking his eyes from his master's face. 



We had wished to move poor " Pickles " some time before, 

 but our patient objected and begged us not to take his pet awa3\ 



Suddenly the dog began to whine, poked his nose into the 

 listless hand on the bed, stood still and stiff for a moment, 

 looking enquiringly at the figure lying so still, then jumped off 

 the bed and began to do all the tricks his master had taught him. 

 First he stood on his head against the wall, which required the 

 most careful manoeuvring ; then jumped round after his own 

 tail, sat up and begged, brought his master's slippers ; then, 

 receiving no applause, with frightened, worried eyes stood by 

 the bed. 



We noticed a change come over our patient, and " Pickles " 

 noticed it too, for suddenly his coat stood on end, and staring, 

 he shivered and trembled, then throwing up his head, howled 

 dismally. He would allow neither of us to touch him, not even 

 the poor widow, who wished to weep with him. 



I wonder if Mr. Slingsby's mount knew what it had done. 

 I think animals know and understand much more than we give 

 them credit for. 



The funeral of Mr. Slingsby, or the " Squire," as many 

 called him, took place at the quiet little parish church of Moor 

 Monkton, on the Slingsby estate, as he had expressed a wish in 

 his lifetime that when he was called away he would like to be 

 laid to rest under the shadow of its nine-hundred-years-old 

 walls and within sound of the bells. 



Anyone who thinks lightly of sporting parsons should have 

 been at that service ; they would have felt for evermore ashamed 

 of themselves, for they could not have failed to see how deeply 

 loved and respected the " Squire " was, and would have heard 

 many a whispered story of his goodness. Gratitude is not a 

 marked feature in our present-day state of civilisation ; there 

 must have been something very special about Mr. Slingsby to 

 attract people and make them love him as they did. 



The coffin was made of plain oak from off the property, and 

 was carried shoulder-high by retainers from the estate, preceded 

 by the hunt servants in their scarlet coats. 



■ --j^A cross of scarlet geraniums rested on the coffin, beside 

 which lay his whip and spurs. 



