MODE OF TRA YELLING 37 



cock hat in excellent keeping to dwarf his diminutive 

 figure, which was nearly as broad as long. Apparelled 

 thus like a groom, he always for companionship carried 

 a large hunting-whip with a big lash. For economy's 

 sake he travelled to the different places he wished to visit 

 on a black cob, something like an ancient pack-horse, as 

 he took his wardrobe with him, not a very extensive or 

 valuable affair, in saddle-bags fastened across the saddle, 

 making with his own weight some sixteen stone a 

 burden not inconsiderable, if insufficient to bring him 

 under Martin's Act for preventing cruelty to dumb 

 animals. His friends must at times have been startled 

 by his appearance, when they would see him ride up to 

 their front- door ; for their first idea would be that some 

 ill-mannered groom with a note from his master had for- 

 gotten that it should be delivered at the back or side 

 entrance. A nearer view would, however, show them 

 who was their eccentric visitor. 



Mr. Starkey both bought and bred horses, but raced 

 them with no particular amount of luck. He had as 

 many trainers as he had horses, about six of one and 

 half a dozen of the other, and mostly raced them in 

 the trainers' names. I don't think he ever fished or 

 shot except on very rare occasions, and his hunting was 

 of the same limited character. His delight was to see 

 his horses run, and specially to attend to their toilet 

 beforehand. He generally, by some strange confusion 

 of ideas, managed to get the smallest boy to ride the 

 very heaviest weight, or vice versd ; and for about two 

 hours before the appointed time for starting, he might 

 have been seen in a profuse state of perspiration ex- 

 citedly in search of the largest saddle and the greatest 

 number of heavy saddle-cloths to enable the lad to 

 draw the weight. This done, he immediately com- 



