MR. J. COUPLAND 327 



others reached the wood, they saw a leash of hounds 

 running as hard as they could go some fields away, 

 apparently with a breast-high scent. Every one sup- 

 posed that these were the tail hounds of the pack, so on 

 they went, and had a capital run towards Bardon Hill, 

 but failed to find any more than the leash of hounds in 

 front of them, for the all-sufficient reason that no other 

 hounds were on the line. In the meantime the main 

 body of the pack had started another fox and turned 

 short to the left out of Timber Wood, and him they ran 

 to ground without a single horseman being with them. 

 Some of Lord Stamford's keepers viewed the pack 

 racing along, and of course were surprised to see no one 

 with them, and then assuming that the field had some- 

 how or other been left behind, they managed to entice 

 the hounds to Newtown Linford, where they shut them 

 up in a stable, and a messenger was sent to Quorn to say 

 what had become of them. Meantime the huntsman 

 and his attendants were scouring the neighbourhood on 

 horseback to find the missing pack, but of course without 

 success. 



Mention has already been made of Tom Firr, and as 

 the end of the season 1871-72 saw the departure of 

 Macbride, a halt may here be made to note the arrival 

 of Firr as huntsman ; and at the present moment (1898) 

 he still occupies that proud position, which he has thus 

 held for twenty-six years. A love for hunting, like 

 wooden legs, is said to run in families, and it is only 

 perhaps right that a short sketch of the worthy hunts- 

 man's life should be given. 



Tom Firr, after being with sundry packs, went to the Cam- 

 bridgeshire, then under the mastership of Mr. Barnett, and on 

 leaving there he went to another plough country, the Craven, then 

 under Mr. Theobald, after which he joined the Tedworth, when 

 old George Carter hunted the hounds, and Jack Fricker was first 

 whip. After one season there, he whipped in to the Quorn, under 



