THE H. H.
MR EDITOR: No doubt many your readers have for some time been expecting to read some report of the doings of this old-established pack in your columns. I do not write to you for those who are enjoying all the good things, as the man who appreciates an account of a run in Bell is he who knows the country but is an absentee. Well, not to be prosy, the H. H. have had a wonderful season, and, to use the stock simile, the oldest inhabitant has never known a better. As a general rule this elderly party praises the time when he himself was a boy, but I have met with a really impartial veteran who says he has never seen a continuance of better sport certainly during the last twenty years. The reasons he gives are these:—First, we have had a wonderfully good scenting season; secondly, the country was well hunted during the cub-hunting season; and thirdly, Mr Deacon’s system of leaving hounds alone and making them hunt it out. The pack is very much improved, and there seems to be a greater sympathy between the hounds and their huntsman than existed last season. Like the late Mr Assheton Smith. Mr Deacon deprecates any harshness in the field or kennel, and the pack know that he is their friend, and work willingly for him in return for his kindness. Well as the hounds now hunt they would do better still if certain enthusiasts would halloo a little less. It is a strange thing, but true, that the older some men grow who hunt with these hounds the more they halloo, and the more self-satisfied they look at their performances. If these howlers, who think they know so much, would only pay a visit to the Duke of Beaufort’s country, they would see, perhaps, the quickest pack in England, and still no yelling; for when a fox breaks he is simply whistled away by the noble Master or one of the hunt servants. What a contrast to Hants! The best runs have been in the up country on the Mondays and Saturdays. The reason is obvious —the fields are smaller, and they are not afflicted with the presence of two or three spirting gentlemen who regularly spoil the Tuesday’s sport by heading the fox and overriding the hounds. It has been my individual misfortune to miss many of the good runs given below, but your readers may rely on the reports being quite true, as they are taken from the diary of a gentleman who was always there and in his right place. Up to the present date these hounds have killed and eaten 24½, brace, whereas last season they only killed in toto 22½. To each run I have appended the names of a few who were forward on each occasion, and those who are omitted must not be jealous. The reason I have done so is that I apprehend that your readers take more interest in the performance of men than of hounds. How few at the end of a day know or care if the pack were ladies or gentlemen! and yet special correspondents give columns to wearisome pedigrees which I will venture to say nine out of ten of your readers never look at. With this tiresome preface I pick out a few of Mr Deacon’s plums—his magnum bonums!
JAN 2—Met at the Anchor, Ropley. Found in Dodford. Ran beyond Goaley Wood, and killed, after a fine run of one hour 40 minutes. The fox stood on a wall and waited till the hounds ran into him. Very forward in this spin, as they generally are, were Sir C. Miller and Mr W. Greenwood, jun.
JAN 15.—Met at Medstead Green. Found in the Colleges. Had first a good ring round Bentworth, and run to ground. Found again at New Copse. Went over Weston Common, by Shalden, to near Alton, by Speecum, and killed at Spollicum, after a run of one hour 50 minutes. Most of the field had left before the second run, but those who were in the front were Sir C. Miller, Mr R. Combe, Mr A. Yates, Mr Hesseltine, and Mr Bennett of Bentworth.
JAN 18.—Met at Brown Candover, at the residence of Mr F. Bailey (a staunch supporter of fox hunting). Found in Chilton Wood, slowly hunted to Woodmancote, and then went away a regular cracker through Chilton Wood. Preston Supse. over Preston Down, as if for Bradley, to Wield Wood, and killed at Qodsfleld. From Chilton Copse over Preston Down, as if for Bradley, to Wield Wood, and killed at Godsfield. From Chilton Wood there was no check. Time, 1hrs 5min. But few got a start, and those who had the best of it were Capt. Bradford, Mr M Knight, and Mr Richards, who were about the best placed. Mr A. Yates, who was riding his famous little horse Bristles, got a bad start, and had a hard job to catch them.
JAN 20.—Met at Marsh House, Bentley. With their second fox, found in Butler’s Copse, then ran through Row Wood, Speccum, Spollicum, Sheephouse, and killed close by Sutton Common. Time. 55min.
JAN 23—Met at West Tisted, at Mr J Stubbs’s, whose name always brings to mind his hearty hospitality. Found directly in Ashton Wood, and went through Basing Park, over the Froxfield country (where there was plenty of jumping) to the Petersfield Hangers, where they lost. This was a good straight hunting run of about eight miles. Went back to Wolfhanger and found another, which took them a good pace, after two rings round the Common, by Brookwood Park, Blackhouse. the Millbarrows, to Rowhay, where they lost. This was about 10 miles from point to point. This was a very hard day for horses. In this second run Capt Bradford, Lord H Paget, Mr G. Tredcroft, Mr F. Bailey, Mr T Cordery, and Mr Sillence went well.
FEB 5 —Met at Rotherfield Park. Found the first fox near the house, and killed, after a fast 20 minutes, near Windmill Hill. Found another in Chawton Park, went by New Copse, as if for Wield; through Bradley, over Herriard Common to Highwood and Nutley, where they were beaten by the number of foxes. From Medstead to Bradley the pace was racing, and hounds were never once casted during the run. Those who enjoyed this run, and went well throughout, were Lord H Paget, Sir C. Miller, Mr J. W. Scott, Mr Marx, Mr James, Mr R. Combe, Mr A Yates, and Mr E. Sartoris, of Warnford Park.—Yours. &c.,
ÆSOP