360 THE POST AND THE PADDOCK. 



says. They gave me some brandy and water, and a 

 bit of bread and butter, and set me off for another 

 lark to Melton, but they see me no more till next 

 day ; I regularly did them that time. 



I once had a grand go at Lord Cardigan he'd be 

 Lord Brudenell then on Dandy, with Lord Lons- 

 dale's hounds : they had come right up from Oakham 

 Pastures, and I was on a grey roan-muzzled one, of 

 Sir James Musgrave's Perfection they called him. 

 One of the gentlemen he says to me, " I'll give you 

 five pounds, Dick, if you'll go and lick LordBrudenell 

 up to Overton Park ; he's licked every one of us." 

 My horse was very fresh, and I thought I'd match 

 him. " We'll give you anything if you'll have a go 

 at him," two or three more of them says ; so I over 

 some high post-and- rails. "That's capital," they 

 shouts, and at him I goes ; and I caught him just 

 at the last fence before the wood where they killed. 



I never had a row with any gentleman but once. 

 He gives me one of the savagest brutes to ride that 

 ever came to Melton ; they had to go to the other 

 side of the stall to feed him, and they couldn't get 

 him out of the stable-yard till I came ; so I spoke 

 to him, and coaxed him, and he went as quiet as a 

 dog. Away I rides to Melton Spinney, and Mr. 



says to me, " Stand you, Dick, at the gate ; the 



fox is certain to come through that way, and let no 

 one come." Well, I sent a good many back ; they 

 know'd my horse, and I told them he'd worry them to 

 death, so back they went. Then three scarlets comes 

 up, and go through they would, wildy-nildy. The 

 fox did come that way, and sure enough they did 

 head him back. I got pretty well called for that : 

 that put my blood up a bit. Then away we went to 

 Scalford Brook, but the hounds didn't cross it : up 

 comes my gentleman, and says, quite angrily, " Why 

 didn't you jump the brook?" I told him, Because 

 the hounds didn't cross ; he said they did, and I said 



