Mr. J. A. Cravens Mastership, 187 



MR J. A. CRAVEN. 



With Dick Eoake for Ms Huntsman, Mr. J. A. Craven 

 assumed the Mastership vacated by Colonel Anstruther 

 Thomson, and straightway buckled into his new position 

 as if he were to the manner born. An excellent judge 

 of a horse, and sparing no expense in getting the right 

 sort of animal, both master and men were mounted in a 

 manner befitting the Hunt over which he presided. That 

 he was himself capable of handling hounds at a pinch no 

 one for a moment suspected, but on the occasion unex- 

 pectedly presenting itself, the new Master proved fully 

 equal to it. An accident having incapacitated E-oake^ 

 Mr. Craven at once assumed the horn, and for some time 

 drove the coach with such success, that on giving the 

 health of ^^ the Master of the Pytchley hounds " on the 

 presentation-night, Captain Thomson said, " Mr. Craven 

 has many of the qualifications necessary for a Master of 

 Hounds ; keenness, determination, and a power of endur- 

 ing fatigue such as he had rarely seen equalled. In 

 punctuality he gave himself and other Masters a lesson 

 they would do well to follow, for he well knew that they 

 had of tea blessed him for keeping them waiting. Mr. 

 Craven had been obliged to take the horn under very 

 trying circumstances, and had acquitted himself exceed- 

 ingly well. He had proved himself patient and steady, 

 had shown some good sport, and with experience would 

 undoubtedly take high rank as a huntsman.^^ 



Such words from such a judge could not but be 

 pleasant to hear, and were some reward for undertaking 

 an arduous and thankless duty at a critical moment. On 

 the reappearance of Roake, which was not long delayed, 



