g6 MEMOIR OF 



fox-hounds, harriers, and otter-hounds, he con- 

 trives to enjoy it all the year round. The last- 

 mentioned pack are kept by himself ; and he has 

 killed the almost incredible number of twenty- 

 five otters in the last two summers, for which 

 he should receive the thanks of the fish ! Each 

 of these gentlemen spent the evening with us 

 at Mr. Tempter's, and added much to its 

 conviviality and pleasure." 



Where all were welcome, it would be almost 

 invidious to single out one as the most favoured 

 and constant guest of the Stover party ; but, in 

 truth, Henry Taylor of Ogwell — the boy known 

 at Eton as Ninth Harry — was that man. But 

 for him, on his famous horse Nunky, the career 

 of the " Bold Dragoon " would have been cut 

 short very early in the day, and his dark hide 

 converted into "a hundred tatters of brown;" 

 for a finer horseman or a nobler man never 

 followed a hound ; and he it was who almost 

 invariably contrived to save the life of that 

 gallant fox. 



On one occasion, however, both he and 

 Nunky nearly came to serious grief, and nar- 

 rowly escaped with their lives. The anecdote 

 was first told me by Mr. George Tempter, and 

 afterwards confirmed by Taylor himself ; w^hose 

 natural modesty and true nobility of soul, though 

 I had the honour of knowing him intimately 

 for nearly a quarter of a century, would never 



