"VAGABOND 3 1 



"The best horse I ever had or am ever hkely to have," Sir 

 Evelyn wrote when sending me a photograph of the painting 

 of his favourite. " He gave me several falls the first time I 

 rode him, but subsequently carried Lady Wood and myself for 

 several seasons without a mistake." He omitted to mention, 

 however, that when he went to the wars he mortgaged him 

 to his brother, Charles Paofe Wood, who was then acting as 

 Secretary to the Essex Stag Hounds during Mr, Henry Petre's 

 Mastership. He writes me: — "As for my brother's 'Vaga- 

 bond,' he was indeed a scamp and instigated by the d 1 at 



times, grassed me more than once. I detested the horse, 

 feeling he only permitted me to ride him by sufferance. How- 

 ever, I had to try, and hunting with the Stag Hounds every 

 Tuesday, I used to rail to Chelmsford, but soon discovered 

 that ' Vagabond ' refused to go to the meet, but would run 

 backwards on to the pavement and into the shop windows just 

 outside the station. My master, Henry Petre, kindly arranged 

 to do escort, and by his help I used to coax ' Vagabond ' to 

 the scene of action. Once there he was happy enough. 

 Timber was his strong point, and he rarely struck a gate or a 

 stile. When his ungovernable temper took possession of him 

 he was utterly reckless whither he went or what became of him. 

 Once he climbed up the steps of Stirling Castle. 



" But hold hard ! I have no time. This was written days 

 ago and interrupted. You must get hold of my old friend, 

 W. H. White, and oret us tosfether with a shorthand writer, 

 and we could give you the coltish chronicle by the hour." 



Unluckily I was never able to do this, but perhaps a Druid 

 of the future will be more fortunate ; or better still, Mr. Charles 

 Paoe Wood and his friend, Mr. W. H. White — better known as 

 Captain White when he held the Mastership of the Essex 

 Hounds — may be induced to jointly publish their sporting 

 reminiscences. 



