NIM ROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. c6 



the same time, to the same pack of fox-hounds those of Si<r 

 Richard Puleston, to whom Crane's father was for many years 

 butler, and afterwards, for the remainder of his life, steward. 

 Here then was Tom's debut, or start as it may here perhaps be 

 more technically denominated, and no bad one either. In the 

 first place, his father was a very sensible and well-conducted 

 man in his situation of life, and the son had the benefit of good 

 example. In the next, he was, we may say, cradled in a kennel, 

 and in one of as good a judge of hounds, and of everything 

 appertaining to hunting, as England has hitherto produced. 

 Lastly, no man in that part of the world had an establishment 

 of such orderly, well trained servants as Sir Richard Puleston 

 always had, and I may add, few servants have a kinder or more 

 considerate master ; but it is good masters alone that make good 

 servants. 



The history of Tom Crane is this : When Sir Richard 

 Puleston went to Ireland as Lieutenant-colonel of the Ancient 

 British Fencibles a light dragoon regiment, raised by Sir 

 Watkin Williams Wynn, Bart., and which greatly distinguished 

 itself in the unfortunate Rebellion in Ireland, in 1798 he gave 

 up his fox-hounds pro tempore, and Tom accompanied him as 

 pad-groom, if such a term may be applied to a military gentle- 

 man's stable servant. And it was here he may be said first to 

 have displayed that quickness and decision of character for whick 

 he was, through life, so conspicuous. In one of the several 

 engagements which this gallant little regiment took part in, a 

 beautiful black mare called Priestess, the gift of the by aU 

 sportsmen ever-to-be-remembered Mr. Corbet, of Sundorne 

 Castle, Shropshire, to Lady Puleston, his daughter, was shot 

 dead under Sir Richard, and his life was greatly endangered by 

 the circumstance. It being observed, however, by Tom Crane, 

 who was in the rear, with a led horse, he dashed through the 

 fire with him towards his master, and thus saved him from de- 

 struction. An act of this description was not likely, sooner or 

 later, to go without its reward. The cause of Crane's quitting 

 the service of Sir Richard I do not at this moment recollect ; 

 but he did quit it soon afterwards, and served as a private soldier 

 in the late Peninsular war, under the Great Captain of the Age^ 

 although he was not long in the ranks, having become batman 

 to Colonel Freemantle, of the Guards. When, however, a pacK 

 of fox-hounds was sent out to this great captain, Sir Richard 

 exerted his influence in favour of his late servant, and he wns 

 appointed by the Duke of Wellington to hunt them. He hunted 

 them, I understood, quite to the satisfaction of his noble master ; 

 and by way of showing that neither the change in his habits of 



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