The Life of a Great Sportsman 



driving. This would be chiefly in the summer, when hunting 

 and racing were off. Then they would ride or drive with us, 

 or on rainy days play billiards. At any rate, we were never at 

 a loss for companions of different ages or sex. All were 

 welcome, and made no difference in our daily life, except that 

 " a pleasure shared was a pleasure doubled." 



Foremost amongst them was one very special friend and 

 cousin, George Marris* — "Little Man," as we all called him. 

 He was, in fact, our real stand-by. Wet or fine he was sure 

 to turn up, and would on occasion ride anything Maunsell 

 asked him to try — would, in fact, rough-ride the youngest or 

 the most vicious old horse that might happen to have found 

 his way into our stables. Nothing came amiss to the " Little 

 Man." Some years older than our three selves, we had been 

 accustomed from childhood to regard him as our own property 

 to play with us when we wanted ; in fact, to be at our beck 

 and call, and incidentally to get us out of any scrape we might 

 have managed to get into. Nor did he ever fail us. Maunsell 

 once had a remarkably vicious horse, though perfect in all 

 other respects, which he had bought from a friend who literally 

 could do nothing with him. When he would go he was bad 

 to beat in the hunting field, and Maunsell, who had never yet 

 been conquered by a horse, determined to try his hand at 

 " Dutch Sam," f as he was very appropriately named. After 

 a few weeks, the horse proved so tractable under my brother's 

 handling, that it was decided I was to have a ride on him, and 

 to call at the neighbouring village, and relate how a conquest 

 had been achieved. 



Naturally I was highly flattered, and considered I was 



* Eldest son of Mr. William Marris, of Limber, and nephew of our grandmother, 

 Mrs. Maunsell. 



t " Dutch Sam " was the name of a once celebrated prizefighter. 



88 



