MR. SMITH AS A MASTER OF HOUNDS. 175 



and the eye, passing the church at Hungerton and Quenby 

 Hall, rests upon the fir-clad Billesden Coplow. Dick 

 Burton now alone survives of that memorable party 

 (1860). Tom Edge is on the back of Gayman. Jack 

 Shirley is looking at his favourite hounds from the back of 

 young Jack-'o-Lantern. Young Will Burton is lingering 

 on the outside to see the throw-off, before he takes his mas- 

 ter's hack home."* He was then only fourteen years old, 

 and died a few months afterwards. 



Let us proceed to enumerate some remaining qualities in 

 Mr. Assheton Smith's character as a huntsman and master 

 of hounds. He was scrupulous in all that appertains to the 

 etiquette of hunting. He was jealous of his rights, and 

 would allow no hounds but his own to draw a covert, 

 however outlying, which he believed to form part of his 

 country : on the other hand no man was more courteous 

 than he was, on any occasion of packs clashing. His com- 

 mendations of a master of harriers, Mr. Willes of Hunger- 

 ford Park, on a memorable occasion were unbounded. The 

 squire's hounds had met some fifteen miles off, but had run 

 their fox into the country of the merry harriers j the blue 

 mottles were immediately locked up in a barn, and their 

 field joined the fox-hounds. No sooner had they met than 

 Mr. Assheton Smith rode up to Mr. Willes, and shaking 

 him heartily by the hand, said : — This is the most sports- 

 manlike conduct I ever knew in my life ; I saw you order 

 your hounds home as we came over the hill. You must 

 come and dine with us to-day and stay two or three more, 

 for such things require to be talked over." Some masters 

 of fox-hounds have a dislike and contempt for harriers, but 

 this famous sportsman knew that in skilful hands they 

 were very useful in keeping foxes at home and making 

 them avoid hedgerows. 



Mr. Assheton Smith hunted the Ted worth country for 



* " Silk and Scarlet." 



