' WILD DAYRELL' 187 



occasion, when leaving Danebury late on a very dark 

 night, he was tricked into departing from this rigid rule. 

 The man that held his horse, knowing his oddity, kept 

 walking before him with a lighted lantern. This natur- 

 ally elicited an inquiry as to what he was looking for. 



' Sir,' answered the man gravely, ' I have dropped that 

 shilling, if you gave it me.' 



This had an electrical effect, and in an unguarded 

 moment Mr. Etwall parted with the memorable coin. 

 But never before or afterwards, to the best of my know- 

 ledge, was he committed to so indiscreet an act of 

 liberality. 



Mr. Etwall was a great friend of Mr. Popham, of 

 Littlecote Park, the owner of Wild Day r ell. The horse 

 was trained privately by Mr. Bickaby, Mr. Etwall having 

 the entire management of him. Wild Day r ell did most 

 of his work in Lord Craven's park at Ashdown, in sum- 

 mer, or on the Downs adjacent. Mr. Popham had but 

 two or three horses, none of which were good enough to 

 lead Wild Dayrell in his work ; so Mr. Etwall purchased 

 Jack Sheppard of Mr. Ewbank for the purpose. But, 

 like the rest of the horses that galloped with Wild 

 Dayrell, he was found, with John Charlton the jockey on 

 his back, unable to extend the crack, leading the latter's 

 sanguine friends to say that such a wonder had not been 

 seen for years, and that winning the Derby would be as 

 easy to him as winning a 50 plate. Wild Dayrell won 

 the race ; yet, in my opinion, he had to thank Aldcroft, 

 who rode Lord of the Isles, for his victory rather than 

 any merit of his own. Mr. Popham did not after this 

 keep many horses, nor did he do any good with those he 

 kept, his luck having come all at once or ' all of a 

 lump,' as the old woman graphically described it when 

 she found the sixpence. 



