THE REV. JOHN RUSSELL. 99 



nor, like the moss-trooper of old, did he slacken 

 his rein or "stint to ride," till he had picked 

 up the fox and bagged him alive. 



I drew the story out of the dear old fellow- 

 over a bottle of port wine in his sanctum at 

 South Poole, when he added, " It's quite true, 

 but Templer didn't tell you all. On crossing 

 the Newton road I met an old woman, and 

 tossing her a shilling she handed me her blue 

 flannel apron which I wrapped round my head, 

 and thus turbaned, rode like a grand Turk to 

 the end of the run." 



Such was the man and such the horse of 

 whose deed Templer wrote in a strain of the 

 truest admiration : — 



"Fearless and first Ninth Harry urg-ed his course, 

 Charging- the fences with resistless force ; 

 Poor Nunky pays for all, a friend indeed 

 So g"ood a Nunky proves in time of need." 



That uncle was Mr. Edward Cooke, who, 

 sometime Under-Secretary of State for Ireland 

 during the administration of Lord Castlereagh, 

 gave him the horse. 



But to return to the Teignbridge Cricket 

 Club : that Russell took no active interest in 

 the game mav be inferred from the fact that, 

 notwithstanding the high popularity to which 

 the Club soon attained in the county, he ceased 

 to be a member of it early in the day. The 

 ground, it is true, was at a long distance from 



