THE REV. JOHN RUSSELL. 249 



Trelawny, John King, or Russell for their 

 chairman, were discussing the incidents of the 

 run, and kiUing their fox over and over again, 

 then it was that the "fun of the fair" began. 

 The ring of a shilhng popped into a wine-glass 

 gave notice that, with or without the knowledge 

 of the owner, the sale by auction of his horse 

 was about to take place, he himself being only 

 allowed one bid ; so that if satisfied with the 

 price offered, and he said nothing, his horse 

 then became the property of the last bidder ; 

 but if on the contrarv, he had no wish to part 

 with the animal, he took care to protect himself 

 by naming a sum that at once put an end to 

 further competition. 



A chestnut pony by Pandarus, called 

 " Stunning Joe," scarcely fourteen hands high, 

 had so distinguished himself over the moor 

 during these meetings, that on two or three 

 occasions he was persistently put up, and large 

 sums were bid for him with the hope of obtaining 

 so rare an animal. But Reginald James, his 

 owner, knew the value of the little horse too 

 well to part with him ; for when the bidding 

 had risen to its top figure — an exceptionally 

 high one — he invariably took a jump which at 

 once extinguished the aspirations of the most 

 spirited competitors. 



A young squire, however, from the southern 

 division of the county, who had indulged rather 



