HEROES OF THE HUNTING-FIELD 125 



ride that way. He was first coming out when Mr. 

 Sniitli was master, and he put him up to many a 

 clever thing in riding*. He had another dodge when 

 he rode at timber ; he always went slap at the post; 

 he said it made the horse fancy he had more to do, 

 and put more powder on.' 



The spirit in which Mr. Smith rode to his hounds 

 seemed to infuse itself into the bosoms of those who 

 hunted with him, and after a time the Tedworth 

 country became noted for hard and daring riders. 



Although the country around Tedworth was 

 mostly so open that an old woman on a broom might 

 ride across it, still there were j)arts of it that showed 

 off good riding, particularly in the Pewsey vale. 

 On such occasions as these, when fine horsemanship 

 was required, there was no man who rode better or 

 straighter than Mr. John Rowden of Durrington, a 

 wealthy yeoman, with a hand as light as a lady's, a 

 heart as bold as a lion, and a frame fit to contend 

 for the championship. 



He was invariably selected by T. Assheton Smith 

 to purchase his horses, generally at that time bought 

 of Mr. Smart of Swindon ; or in case any horse was 

 heard of at a distance, Mr. Rowden was requested to 

 pass his judgment on it, and many hundred miles 

 has he ridden for that purpose. Nor did his labours 

 end there ; for if ever there happened, as was often 

 the case, to be a violent fractious animal that re- 

 quired hand and temper, he was also requested to be 



