224 THE QUORN HUNT 



not always easy for a huntsman to put his hand upon 

 one just when he was wanted. Early in January 1848 

 " Sir Richard Sutton and his chopfallen breed were 

 retiring from one of these scenes of disappointment," 

 when a holloa back was heard, and every one thought 

 that the pack had overdrawn a fox. The hounds 

 were taken back in hot haste to the covert, and the 

 master found some grinning yokels, who had given a 

 false alarm, and to see the hounds and the field come 

 rushing back amused them mightily. Some of the field, 

 however, regarding this as a rather poor joke, somewhat 

 unwisely proceeded to thrash the countrymen with their 

 whips, and a regular scrimmage ensued, one gallant cap- 

 tain, who was riding with a cutting-whip, using it with 

 such effect that he was reported to have nearly flayed 

 the unlucky individual whom he selected for punishment. 

 This was the substance of the first report, but a " Lei- 

 cestershire farmer" in the Harborough country put a 

 somewhat different complexion on the business. He 

 explained that after the hounds had drawn a certain 

 covert blank, the foot people began to holloa, and were 

 civilly requested by Sir Richard Sutton and others to 

 discontinue their noise. When the hounds were about 

 three or four fields from the covert, the holloaing began 

 again, and so sundry farmers, and not the " pinks," 

 turned back and administered condign punishment to 

 the natives who gave tongue all too freely. The 

 farmers considered the hoax an insult to the master, 

 and dealt with it accordingly. 



Of Sir Richard Sutton the story has been told by 

 Mr. Bromley Davenport how, during his early days of 

 mastership of the Ouorn, on being asked whether So- 

 and-so, a new arrival, could ride, he replied, " I don't 

 know ; I have not seen him go ; but I should think he 

 could, for he hangs a very good boot." 



Sir Richard, too, was once heard, on arriving at a 



