146 AT THE SIGN OF THE STOCK YARD INN 



from the beginning as was the great manipulator of 

 the Duchess-Hubback-Favorite line; but that was 

 temperamental. His admiration for the Lavender 

 (or Lancaster) family in the hands of WILKINSON of 

 Lenton paralleled in a degree Mr. BATES' historic 

 attachment of a generation previous. But mark the 

 difference. BATES was cocksure of his position, and 

 forecast with marvelous accuracy the results he 

 notified the world he was about to achieve. Re- 

 member the story of the purchase and use of Bel- 

 videre, and then read of GRUICKSHANK halting on 

 the very brink of complete success with the blood 

 which he undoubtedly believed to be the best for his 

 use in the entire kingdom. Fortunately, his love 

 for the Lavenders triumphed over his inborn wari- 

 ness before it was too late. We come to the turn- 

 ing point of his career, the use of Lancaster Comet. 

 Our good friend ROBERT BRUCE, formerly of 

 Darlington, but now superintendent of the Royal 

 Irish Show in Dublin, is one of the best-informed 

 men, cattle -wise, now living. I once crossed the 

 Atlantic with him many years ago, and he it was 

 who planned my first itinerary of the British herds 

 of a quarter century ago. He was the intermediary 

 in the final sale of the Sittyton cattle in 1889, 

 and not even WILLIAM DUTHIE, upon whom the 



