20 Tom Tootler. 



passes, it is a treat to see Tom set his horse into a canter 

 as he gets on to the turf, he rising in his stirrups and 

 making much of the hounds. Who wouldn't be a hunts- 

 man ? Watch him as he goes airily along, his horse, a 

 three-hundred-guinea one, snatching playfully at his bit, 

 and whinnying with delight as the hounds gambol about 

 at his heels. With what an air, too, he pulls off his 

 cap in honour of the ladies of the house, who are looking 

 on from the lawn ! The swell London footman, who is 

 handing the liqueurs about, an exotic of recent importation, 

 and whose first experience it is of life in the country, is so 

 impressed with his manners that he even sirs him as he 

 comes round to him with the curagao, cherry-brandy, &c. 



Our huntsman finds a happy combination of the 

 suaviter in modo and the fortiter in re the most effective in 

 dealing with his field, and adopts it accordingly on all 

 occasions. His '' Hounds, gentlemen, if you please ; " 

 " Thank you, gentlemen, thank you," is quite irresistible. 

 " Ah, my lord's hounds are too slow iov you I'm afraid, sir; 

 can't get out of your way, poor things ! " was all he said 

 when young Graceless rode over Barbara one fine day, his 

 sarcasm shaming that gentleman far more than any amount 

 of abuse would have done. 



The subject of our sketch commenced his sporting career 

 as second horseman to that well-known sportsman Sir 

 Harry Hotspur, the Master of the Danbydale Hounds, 

 a post for which his light weight and capital hands 

 and seat well adapted him. He had not been two 

 years in Sir Harry's service, when, quite unexpectedly, a 

 great piece of luck came to him, for it happened, one fine 

 day, just at the commencement of the season, that the 

 second whip was unfortunate enough to break his leg 



