The Merry Past 



on horses of the highest courage. They, however, only 

 formed a small portion of that field ; the rest con- 

 sisted of horse and foot, boy and man, regular and 

 irregular sportsmen of all grades and appearances ; 

 some mounted on saddle-horses without saddles, 

 and some on draught-horses with saddles ; whilst 

 boots, shoes, and hay-bands protected these Nimrods' 

 sinewy legs according to the means of purchasing 

 either. Then there was such emulation in the field 

 either to gain the brush, or to brush before a rival 

 hunter ; such galloping and leaping, such shouting 

 and authoritative commands from patrician to plebeian, 

 or rather from squire to cotter and labourer, to 

 *' howld his tongue, and be d — d to him ! " It was 

 really like a galloping masquerade, or a carnival on 

 horseback. 



The tremendous drinking-bouts in which many 

 Irish sportsmen indulged not infrequently lasted 

 right through the night. 



" Good morrow to your honour. Captain ! " said 

 a village character, smoking a dudeen at his door, 

 to a certain young squire whom he perceived riding 

 through the village towards his house at a very early 

 hour in the morning. " It's yourself that's up brave 

 an' early the day." " Morrow, kindly ! " was the 

 reply ; " it's early enough in troth, but it's home to 

 bed I'm going, Barney. I've been dining with the 

 officers in Newry over, and by the Piper of Blessinton, 

 I'm after carrying away with me eight-and-twenty 

 tumblers of punch, to say nothing about the port and 

 sherry." " Ah ! well, any way," rejoined the smoker, 



56 



