266 Saddle and Sirloin. 



the very cream of the hunt, and it is a remarkable 

 thing that they were the only three regular atten- 

 dants of it who habitually wore caps. Orveys of course 

 wore one. Sir Charles had shown rare sport when 

 all the packs round, with the exception of the Hol- 

 derness, had been doing very little. He was only 

 forty-five — that year of fruition as it is called, when 

 the harvest of a man's experience is gathered in — and 

 ever since '38 he had been at the head of either 

 harriers or foxhounds. His lady pack, among which 

 were prize ones of the Nelson and Comedy litter, was 

 about perfection at all points, cover drawing, nose, 

 and speed. For talent, and certainly for perseverance 

 no gentleman huntsman, and probably no professional 

 huntsman could have beaten him. Perhaps he was a 

 little too silent in cover and chopped foxes occasion- 

 ally that way. He did so on his very last morning, 

 but the fox was so fast asleep, that, to use his own 

 words, " I had to crack my whip twice over him to 

 wake him." His casts were most extraordinary ; 

 when his hounds threw up, he never dwelt very long 

 on the spot, but would lay hold of them and cast half 

 a mile forward or back with almost invariable success. 

 The number of foxes (50 brace) accounted for in little 

 over four months, in a country which does not do 

 much cub-hunting, fully attest his prowess. He was 

 the nicest fellow in the field, never by any chance 

 losing his temper or saying a nasty word to any one. 

 The consequence was, that his field, though com- 

 prising an immense number of hard-riding men, was 

 perhaps the best behaved in England, and so many 

 strangers have allowed. If men got into a wrong 

 place (and no one saw it quicker than he did) he 

 would never say anything, but they were wont to say 

 in all verity, that they felt more rebuked by his quiet 

 look and his silence than if a master had been swearing 

 at them all day. In fact, no one more truly united 

 the charming companion and finished sportsman, and 



