BLACK AND WHITE 199 



nip at a deer in the Loddon, has much nnproved m her 

 swimming. There was no boat-house, and I was beginning 

 to be really uncomfortable, when, greatly to my surprise and 

 satisfaction, out went Blackback on the far side. We ran 

 into him in a deep ditch three or four fields further on. Jim 

 Eich had an arm round his neck in a trice, as if he had been 

 at it all his life. There can have been only twenty or thirty 

 people up with us at the end. All my Beaufort guests were 

 there, I am glad to say. William had had quite enough of 

 it. He tires himself from his implacable energy. I gruelled 

 him at Farringdon, where I had some poached eggs. Inn 

 full of talkative and happy hunters. We all thought Joe 

 Moore's horse was going to die when we got him into the 

 stable. A stiff brew of hot ale and whiskey was being ad- 

 ministered when I left. It was as much as I could do to 

 get William home the two or three miles I had to go to 

 Kitemore. He dwelt like lead upon his own footsteps. We 

 were both very glad to see Samways. Only a couple short, 

 I think, and the men's horses did pretty well, in spite of their 

 moderate performances at the Rosey Brook. They are not 

 quite what they should be. Eocksavage out, and preserved 

 a knowing air of mystery throughout. It is a pleasure to 

 see him ride over a country. Ease and power combined. 

 His horse always gets the best possible chance, and always 

 seems to take it. He said he thought the hounds were fat. 

 I dare say they are. They certainly are good ones to eat. 



Not a very brilliant point, but we circumvented a lot of 

 country, and I think the people of the district all enjoyed 

 it. We were treated with great hospitality and kindness. 

 Brown, who hunts the old Berkshire, and Orr-Ewing, the 

 Master, had thought of everything possible to help us in 

 every way. The Queen's Hounds had not been in this part 

 of the w^orld for seventeen years when Lord Cork brought 

 them down. 



