232 ikings of tbe t)uuting*3Ftel& 



fire at Lord George, as his lordship had said that he 

 could not possibly fire at the Squire after insult- 

 ing him. But the Squire was not inclined to trust 

 his lordship. Screwing himself up, so as not to give 

 a chance away, with pistol close to his side, he awaited 

 the signal. But the Honourable Colonel Anson, Lord 

 George's second, with the laudable desire of preserving his 

 principal's life, if possible, from so dead a shot, requested 

 the Squire to keep his eyes fixed on him (Colonel Anson) 

 till he gave the signal. Lord George's bullet whistled 

 harmlessly in the air, whilst the Squire's went through 

 Lord George's hat. ' I didn't think you were so 

 bad a shot ! ' exclaimed Colonel Anson. ' It might 

 happen differently next time,' replied the Squire, sullenly. 

 Honour was satisfied ; but Lord George quitted the field 

 without the customary salute to his antagonist, and for 

 years they were strangers, till old John Day brought them 

 together again. 



As a cricketer, George Osbaldeston was very great. He 

 was a hard, slashing hitter — witness his two grand scores of 

 one hundred and twelve and sixty-eight for M.C.C. against 

 Middlesex, and made his runs in good style, but was chiefly 

 noted for the tremendous pace of his underhand bowling. 

 It was almost as fast as that of Big Brown of Brighton, who 

 always required two long stops. It was at single-wicket 

 matches that ' the Squire ' was greatest ; and probably 

 every cricketer has heard of his match with the two cracks 

 of Nottingham, when Osbaldeston scored eighty-four in 

 his first innings, and then gave up his bat, whilst the 

 others only scored seventeen in their two innings. 

 Equally well known is that match in which the Squire, 

 with Lambert, played four of England. The four in- 

 cluded E. H. Budd, who made more off his own bat 



