298 Silk and Scarlet, 



Tom's usual style, as the hounds flashed over him into 

 a cover near Godstone, and a farmer found him lying 

 dead in a furroNi^ next day. 



Tom is rising sixty-four, and just entering his 

 fortieth season as huntsman with his old Surrey pets. 

 He has been at it with them ever since he was fifteen, 

 and whipped in for seven seasons to John Cole. Out 

 of the other forty-iwo, three were spent behind the 

 bar ; but he soon *^0ok to the scarlet again. Five of 

 his sons, all trained by himself or Brother Jem, or 

 both, are in the profession ; and he can say, what 

 no man ever said before, that three of them — George, 

 Tom, and Edward (who is with Count Carolli, at 

 Pesth) are huntsmen, a fourth, Morris, second whip to 

 her Majesty, and a fifth, Sam, first whip to himself. 



The old Surrey country is very full of covers, and 

 the Godstone side, which requires less wet than the 

 other, is much the best. Still the hunting is up-hill 

 work, in more senses than one, as the flints wear out 

 a pack in no time. At the end of one season they 

 had only fourteen couple sound, and had to knock 

 ten couple on the head for hopeless lameness. Tinc- 

 ture of myrrh is Tom's principal application, and he 

 iinds that the hare-footed hounds stand the flints 

 much better than the cat-footed ones. Every year 

 they send out some twenty couple of puppies ; but 

 the walks are not a land of Goshen, and they seldom 

 enter more than five or six. John Walker and 

 Brother Jem have principally come to the rescue with 

 their drafts, and there are about sixteen couple from 

 Wynnstay in the kennel now. Mr. Davis also sends 

 Tom some hounds, when they are not quite fast 

 enough for his purpose ; but still the Old Surrey line 

 has been well carried on by their Rummager and 

 Joker. Warrior, the handsomest son of the latter, 

 never got a whelp ; but he did infinite service to Tom 

 in the run of his Old Surrey life on the 12th of 

 February, 1857, with a fox who had already beaten 



