266 THE POST AND THE PADDOCK. 



seeing Will (who was in his glory with Will Mason and 

 Bob Gaunt as his whips) on him for some eight seasons. 

 Few horses combined so much blood with such stout 

 legs; his eye was also quite a curiosity, from its power 

 and prominence ; but his peculiarity was his short- 

 sightedness,, and owing to this failing, it was not 

 three times in a season that he would take anything 

 at a fly. Will used to say of him that he feared no 

 fence if he could only pull him up and take it stand- 

 ing; but the old bay was fated to die in other hands. 

 That noted Lincolnshire sportsman, Tom Brooks, of 

 Croxby, had often wished to ride a run on him, but 

 never did so till one- day, when, as Will was going 

 away with his fox from Bradley Wood, he suddenly 

 hailed him, and said he had a pain in his back/ 

 and Ploughboy was pulling him, adding " You had 

 best take your ride now, Tom ; old Ploughboy will 

 never hunt another season." WilFs words were only 

 too prophetic. They had gone seven miles, best pace, 

 and Ploughboy was striding away across Healing Field 

 (so called from a small mineral spring in the lord- 

 ship), with his head down, after having just jumped 

 a stiff ox-post and rails, when he put his foot in a 

 little grip, fell on his chin, dislocated his neck, and 

 turned tail over head as dead as a stone. His rider was 

 standing over him as Will galloped past. " Not hurt, 

 Tom, I hope Well, it's an ^honourable death for old 

 Ploughboy to die" And on he went with his hounds, 

 and killed his fox in Lord Yarborough's private room 

 at Brocklesby. It seemed as if "the red rogue" 

 had just struggled so far to tell his lordship that his 

 race was avenged on Ploughboy at last ; and a knife, 

 mounted with his pad, a present from Will, and bear- 

 ing date April 6th, 1829, still does duty at Croxby. 

 Incredible as it may seem, almost every muscle in 

 Ploughboy's legs was found to be filled with thorn- 

 pricks, and yet he had scarcely ever gone lame. But 

 sixteen years more, and Will's own voice (which, like 



