THE CALPE HUNT 231 



boned, tall figure of the Gibraltar Jorrocks. He wore 

 a full beard, too, bushy and unkempt. A weather- 

 beaten pink, hunting-cap, and brown tops were the 

 leading features of his hunting costume, and stuck 

 into one of these latter he always carried a huge 

 knife, for what reason I cannot say. At this time 

 his invariable mount was a raw-boned liver chestnut. 

 I believe his name was Holmes, and that he was 

 employed in the Gibraltar gasworks. Peace be to 

 his ashes ! If he died at the Pock, he now lies 

 appropriately enough in the only cemetery I know, 

 which is encircled by a racecourse and within earshot 

 of the kennels. 



A meet of the Calpe Hounds did not differ very 

 greatly from that of many provincial English packs. 

 There were only a few " pinks," more black, and a 

 good deal of nondescript attire. The horses used 

 were small, averaging about fifteen hands. Barbs and 

 Spanish, and mostly stallions. My stud was very 

 small in those days, and I generally fell back at least 

 one day a-week on the hack-hunters of the place. 

 One of the best of these was a broken-kneed bay, 

 ** Jack-o'-Lantern." Then there was another which 

 nobody else had patience to ride. This was a little 

 bay — a very good hunter, but cursed with more than 

 mule-like obstinacy. I generally managed to get 

 him as far as the main road, where he would stop. 

 Flogging and spurring was no use ; he only acknow- 

 ledged such attentions by sullen kicks. All I could 

 do was to get his quarters against a wall so that he 

 couldn't jib, and wait patiently till some other sports- 

 man passed on his way to the meet. Then he would 

 follow steadily enough, and no man could want a 

 better mount, as long as he did not offer to leave the 



