THE BADMINTON HUNT. 37 



performer when he came to Badminton, 

 having been two seasons with the Cheshire, 

 if my calculations be correct, in Mr Heron's 

 time; previous to that he had twelve years' 

 experience with Sir William Lowther in the 

 Cottesmore country, where, if tradition be 

 true, he and his only whip, Dick Christian, 

 had to rouofh it. Besides kennel duties, 

 they had to dress their own horses, and after 

 hunting it was their common custom to 

 indulge them with a swim in a pond near 

 to the stables. As clipping or singeing 

 were unknown in those days. It must have 

 been some time before the poor creatures' 

 coats were dry. Before that, Payne had 

 lived in the services of Lord Darlington 

 and Lord Thanet, consequently he was 

 much advanced in years when, in 1826, 

 he resigned his engagement. 



William Long was his successor, whose 

 career has been so often told that it almost 

 appears like babbling on the line to repeat 



