i84 THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS 



him. Now comes the sequel of the story. In conse- 

 quence of this run Sir Richard purchased Barmaid to 

 carry his huntsman, which she did in capital style for 

 several seasons, and was killed (mind, reader !) — not 

 by what I can exactly caU a blank day, but by trotting 

 up and down Mr Whitmore's coverts, at Apley in the 

 Shiffnal country, with a fox which never broke away 

 at aU ! The fact was, this mare was a very hard feeder, 

 and required a great deal of work ; but a long frost 

 having suddenly broken up, she was called upon before 

 she was fit to go, and her vessels being overladen by 

 rest, death, from acute engorgement of the lungs was 

 the result. 



Now then for the horse. Being by nature a game 

 one, he went farther without shewing his distress 

 than a bad horse would have done ; and my groom — 

 a better judge in the stable than out — not having 

 sufficient discrimination, did not pull him up in time ; 

 and although he did not go half the distance the mare 

 went, he was obliged to be left that night within four 

 miles of Shrewsbury, where I saw him, on my road 

 home, in such a state that I offered him in the evening 

 for ten pounds to any one who would have him, though 

 I had given nearly a hundred for him a few days 

 before. He, however, recovered ; and having made 

 Underbill an allowance to take him again, he sold him 

 to'a gentleman in that country, who rode him a season 

 or two, when he was also purchased by Sir Richard 

 Puleston, to carry this same huntsman, which he did for 

 several seasons. He was not a fast horse, but when fit to 

 go hewouldnot easily tire, and he lived to be an oldhorse. 



