192 REMINISCENCES OF 



Dick and Cross were to start at one o'clock. 

 When we came in he was still in bed with his wife. 

 She had a wash-hand jug of gin by her bed-side. I 

 went into the room and said, " Come, Cross, get 

 up". He jumped up and dressed, never said a 

 word, and got into the fly and went away. I sent 

 Mrs. Cross and the children into Bicester, and the 

 chief constable, a very nice old man, looked after her 

 — but she was not to be trusted. Cross got much 

 better at Nuneaton, and went out in the doctor's gig 

 when he went to visit his patients. 



One Saturday the hounds met at Arbury, close 

 by, and the doctor let Cross ride a pony. After 

 being out an hour or two, he said, " Now, Cross, you 

 had better go home ". He trotted off, and did not 

 come home that night. Next morning a farmer 

 found him asleep on the side of the road near Lich- 

 field, sixteen miles from Atherstone. He put him 

 into his gig, took him to the White Hart at Ather- 

 stone, and put him to bed. The landlord had been 

 Sir George Chetwynd's groom, and knew him. The 

 pony was not found for a week. He was at Smock- 

 ington Hollow about ten miles off, on the road to 

 Rugby. 



His account of himself was, he rode the pony to 

 a standstill, and then got off and walked. He came 

 through a town by lamplight, and got over the rail- 

 way gates at a level-crossing, and walked until he 

 was so tired he sat down and fell asleep. 



The doctor would have no more to do with him. 

 Lord Howe kindly got him admitted to the hospital 



