Reminiscent 



stirrup leather and won with one stirrup on a very hard-pulling 

 mare of his own. If she had been easy to ride it might have 

 been no great feat, but she was almost impossible to hold at 

 any time, and he suffered badly from a strained thigh after the 

 race. She was a bay mare by Leotard, a very good one. He 

 never named her, and sold her to Sholty Aberdour. To 

 attempt to tell the story of " The Cat's " subsequent Steeple- 

 chase career would entail a book ; but I cannot help glancing 

 back at our happy days at Limber. The house at Limber was 

 a strange old-fashioned building with no architectural beauty, 

 but with an attraction of its own, a long-shaped house with a 

 front door into the garden which no one ever used, the 

 accustomed entrance being entirely through a little side door. 

 I have heard that it was originally built by some former Lord 

 Yarborough as a hunting box for friends hunting with his 

 hounds. When I knew it it was tenanted by Willie Richardson, 

 Maunsell's elder brother. 



Extract from Lord Mintds Journal, February, 191 2. 



On the 20th I had a letter from Heneage telling me that 

 " The Cat " was very ill, and had been taken to Dr. Rowland's 

 Home at 245, Knightsbridge. I went there, but did not see 

 him that day. Next day, Sunday, I went again in the after- 

 noon and sat with him. The nurse would only allow me to 

 stay a few minutes. He was perfectly sensible, and in manner 

 just like himself, but I am sure he knew it was all up with him. 

 He said, "You know I wrote to you and told you I should 

 never get over it." That was some time ago, and since then I 

 had imagined he was getting better. When I left him the 

 nurse doubted if he would live through the night, and when I 

 went next morning it was all over. He died at quarter to 

 eight. Got back to Minto on Tuesday morning 23rd. On 



191 



