The Revs. P. A. Butler and ** Billy Butler " 129 



happiest days of his clerical career. The army was originally 

 intended to be his profession ; in fact, he served some years 

 with the 3rd West Kents and only gave it up after volunteering 

 for the Egyptian campaign and being refused. 



In 1915, while sitting at mess in Woolwich camp, Mr. Butler 

 noticed a Major gazing fixedly at him, who at last said, " Aren't 

 you Butler ? I mean P. A. Butler." The impeachment being 

 admitted, he continued, " Why, the last time I saw you was at 

 Maidstone in 1880, when you were having an altercation with 

 your Colonel at the ranges, because he wanted you to ride 

 across the hollow in front of the targets with the bullets whizzing 

 about ! — his argument being, that until our time for death comes, 

 the Almighty will take care of us ; but you were not taking 

 any." 



The Major must have had a good memory. Perhaps, like 

 so many, he could remember the happenings of long ago better 

 than those of later years. 



Mr. Butler was educated at Marlborough, and here his first 

 real hunting began. Happily his house-master was very keen 

 on the same sport, and the fellow-feeling making him wondrous 

 kind, these two used to snatch hasty luncheons on half-holidays, 

 then mount hirelings, and away together to look for the Ted- 

 worth or Craven. They enjoyed some good scurries, to be 

 lived over again many times in their memories — some glorious 

 times over the Downs with the Tedworth. Many of us owe 

 debts of gratitude to the hireling ; he is a long-suffering friend 

 and has done us numberless good turns. 



It was on one of these patient friends that Mr. Butler took 

 part in rather a remarkable run of thirty-five minutes over the 

 Downs, being then only a boy and a lightweight. Mounted on 

 some good blood he was able to keep in touch with the hounds 

 the whole thirty-five minutes. Being well up he enjoyed the 

 uncommon experience of seeing one of the leading hounds run 

 for quite a quarter of a mile singly beside the fox while they 

 were snapping at one another, the hound evidently not daring 

 to run into the fox until the rest of the pack came up. It is no 

 uncommon thing, and a curious trait in hound character, that 

 single-handed they do not care to tackle their quarry, nearly 

 always waiting in awkward moments, for the rest of the pack to 

 come up and keep them in countenance. I have knoAvn a 



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