1 82 MEN OF MY TIME 



through high turnips and rape or clover-heads, you might 

 as well be walking through a river so far as the use of 

 any description of leggings may serve to keep out the wet. 



His lordship was a fair shot, and walked well for his 

 age, which was then about sixty. The first partridge 

 that got up between us, I left to his lordship ; but before 

 he could shoot, to my astonishment, the keeper fired and 

 killed it. This was repeated several times, until I could 

 hold my tongue no longer. 



' My lord,' I said, ' if I had a keeper, he would not do 

 such a thing a second time.' 



' Oh,' was the reply, ' he is a spoiled old servant, who 

 has lived many years with Sir Charles, and is allowed to 

 do pretty much as he likes.' 



We had a good day's sport, and before parting his 

 lordship said : 



' William, Sir Charles does not care about the shooting, 

 and is not going to keep the house another year ; so, if 

 you like, you and your friends may come whenever you 

 please. The keeper won't interfere with you, as he is 

 going to another place of Sir Charles's directly.' 



I thanked him, and had some good afternoons' sport 

 over the property, it being close to my own house, and 

 showing a variety of game in fair quantities partridges, 

 pheasants, hares, rabbits, and particularly woodcock, for 

 which the coverts were noted. 



Lord Sligo was little known on the English turf ; for 

 he was content to keep one or two horses at a time. He 

 had Wedge, Winter, and Wire, but not many other good 

 ones ; and, of course, out of so small a stud, anything 

 beyond a win now and then could hardly be looked for. 

 And this was about all he ever accomplished in England. 

 He kept a larger stud in Ireland, but with what success 

 I do not know. 



