1 82 Tallyho, . 



Champion^ who lias hunted these hounds for the last 

 twenty years, stepped forward and welcomed me to 

 Ringmer, showing me into a room where an elegant 

 breakfast, worthy of Gunter in his best days, was pro- 

 vided for all comers ; and I was fully convinced that a 

 little more or less water was, after all, a matter of but 

 trifling importance whilst such excellent antidotes 

 were close at hand. 



The meet, however, was shorn of its brilliancy by 

 the disastrous weather; and the only other drag was 

 that of the 20th Hussars, which came up in good form, 

 having evidently a workman on the bench, whilst their 

 Excellencies Count Schouvaloff and Count Beust, with 

 Count Deyme, were to be seen booted and spurred, 

 and eager for the chase, and wholly undaunted by the 

 elements. Amongst the field, which did not come up 

 to its usual proportions, I noticed the veteran Squire 

 Ingram, Mr. Chi-istie, of Glyndebourne, and Mr. 

 Donovan, former masters of the South Down ; Major 

 Lockwood, Captain Mangles, Mr. Pullen, Mr. John- 

 stone Stewart, and Mr Irvine, representing the 20th 

 Hussars ; Captain Foster ; Mr. C. Vaughan, who once 

 more appears in the saddle, and who in the course of 

 the day showed that his right hand had not lost its 

 cunning, by going in his old and accustomed form; 

 Mr. Keen, of Patcham ; and Mr. C. Kennedy, who is 

 just as good across country as he is on the cricket 

 field. Having been introduced by a friend to Mr. 

 Streatfield, the Master, who expressed his regret that 

 my first visit to the South Downs should be made 

 under such unfavourable circumstances, I mounted my 

 lively chestnut and trotted off with the hounds. 



The pack consisted of sixteen and a half couples, in 



