H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. 263 



having no great liking for a crowd, I was not 

 present. 



Knowing the draw, I saw the fox away, and 

 caught the hounds when there was a momentary 

 check caused by a flock of sheep. At that point 

 I was asked by Lord Charles FitzRoy to pilot the 

 Prince of Wales. 



I was fully sensible of the honour, but felt it to 

 be a responsibility ; on joining His Royal Highness 

 he graciously mentioned our last meeting. 



Having long before made up my mind that, 

 when a man is upon a " hunter," the safest place 

 in the hunting-field is close to the hounds, I 

 asked the Prince to gallop fast to get to the 

 front ; and this, the pace not being great, we 

 accomplished in a few fields. 



The hounds then beg^an to run over the larcre 

 pastures near to Bradden. A real good stake- 

 and-bound fence presented itself to us, with the 

 ditch on the taking-off side. Over the Prince 

 went I and I never saw a fence better jumped. 

 On reaching the top of the hill there was a very 

 nasty double fence which had to be jumped, so 

 I gave the lead over, and the Prince landed well 

 into a large grass field where there was every 

 sign of a run. Hounds had settled down and 

 matters were going very nicely when the hounds 



