234 mms of tbe ir3unttno*3fielb 



gentleman-like man (a stranger to every one out), joined 

 us, and, addressing " the Squire," said that he had heard 

 that the two greatest shots in England were present, 

 and that he had come some distance in the hope of 

 being allowed to walk a short time with us and see the 

 "cracks shoot." "The Squire" was most civil, and 

 begged he would take a spare gun he had out, and shoot 

 along with us. This the gentleman declined. Well, a 

 minute or two afterwards a cock pheasant rose between 

 " the Squire " and myself, not five yards from either of 

 us. Quick as lightning, bang went "the Squire" — 

 missed ! and bang went Captain Ross — missed ! Bang 

 again " the Squire " — missed ! bang again Captain 

 Ross — missed ! and away went the pheasant, chuck, 

 chuck, chuck ! The gentleman took off his hat, made 

 us a bow, and said, " Thank you ; I am much obliged, 

 and quite satisfied," and away he went. I burst out 

 laughing, but " the Squire " was not quite orthodox on 

 that occasion.' 



As a billiard player ' the Squire ' was one of the best 

 amateurs of his day, and indeed with the exception of 

 coursing and fishing, for which he never cared, there was 

 no branch of sport in which he did not excel. Of his 

 skill as a whip I may give the following instance. ' The 

 Squire' laid a wager of lOO guineas with Mr Paul 

 Methuen that he (Osbaldeston) would drive an ordinary 

 Greenwich four-in-hand stage, with full complement of 

 passengers, from a given point in St Paul's Churchyard 

 to Greenwich in an hour. When ' the Squire ' came to 

 the post he found that Mr Methuen had filled the coach 

 with the biggest Life Guardsmen he could get. On 

 arriving at the bottom of Ludgate Hill, Osbaldeston was 

 told that he had started a yard or two short of the 



