With the Surrey Staghounds, 321 



of tlie cemetery, and going at a swingeing pace in the 

 direction of Epsom, tlie deer finally being taken at 

 Down Hall, close to the town of Epsom, near the 

 approach to the course, after a very sharp and pretty 

 spin, over a very fair '^country,^^ the ground riding 

 light and well, the fences being easily negotiable, and 

 the sun shining sufficiently to give a warm jacket to 

 those who rode close to hounds during this half hour's 

 burst. Not content with this pleasant and satisfactory, 

 if short performance, the Master, having a second deer 

 in readiness, trotted the hounds back in the direction 

 of the spot where the first was uncarted ; and thinking 

 that the bit of blood upon which I was mounted, and 

 whose pedigree was better than his legs, had had 

 sufficient for the day, I left them journeying onwards 

 with every probability of further good sport. The 

 weather being magnificent, the crowd dispersed, and 

 the field reduced to comfortable limits, and judging 

 by what I had already seen, I had but little doubt 

 that, barring accidents, I should hear eventually that 

 they had afforded the persevering members of this 

 home county another of the clinkers for which they 

 have attained such an enviable notoriety. 



The conclusion I came to after this highly satis- 

 factory visit was that the Surrey Union are a very 

 workmanlike pack, affording capital sport as a rule, 

 some portions of their country being very good, 

 although, of course, other parts are indifferent; but, 

 taking it all in all, it affords an opportunity to those 

 whose avocations prevent them going far afield of 

 having some rattling good gallops after as fine a pack 

 of hounds as are to be found in any other " country .'' 

 It is the fashion for some people to decry '^ calf 



21 



