118 REMINISCENCES, ETC. 



felt with a heavy heart that the glory of the old fox-hunter 

 had at length departed. 



The talented author of " Silk and Scarlet " thus graphi- 

 cally describes his last appearance at the covert side : 



" The covert side knew him no more after October, 1857, 

 when he just cantered up to Willbury on his chestnut hack, 

 Blemish, to see his hounds draw. Carter had orders to 

 bring the choicest of the 1858 entry, and he and Will Bryce 

 arrived at the usual rendezvous with five couple of bitches 

 by the Fitzwilliam Hardwicke and Hermit. He looked at 

 them for a short time, and exclaimed, ' Well, they are as 

 beautiful as they can be.' He then bade both his men 

 good-bye, and they saw him in the field no more." This was 

 only a week or two previously to the grand annual meet 

 already mentioned. 



I passed a week with him at Tedworth in the course of 

 the following winter. Although it was the month of De- 

 cember, the season was mild, and, as there had been very 

 little shooting, I had some excellent sport with my gun in 

 the spacious turniiD-tields which look down upon the village. 

 One day we came iipon a fox lying quietly and unconcerned 

 among the turnips, as if he was aware that his old enemy 

 was disabled, and we had some difficulty in making him stir 

 from the spot. The keeper told me, that there had been a mor- 

 tality among the foxes that season, inconsequence of the long 

 continuance of dry weather, and that the one in question was 

 diseased, or rotten, to use his own expression. I mentioned 

 the circumstance at the dinner-table in the evening. A few 

 intimate friends had been invited, and Mr. Smith had asked 

 me to take his seat at the bottom, if it could be so called, of the 

 round table at which he usually dined, he taking his seat in 

 a position nearer the fire. He had been very silent during 

 dinner, and kept his head down, appearing not to listen 

 to what was going on, but to be intently occupied 

 with the contents of his plate, which he was devouring 

 with much relish. When the anecdote of the fox was 



