THREE GENERATIONS OF TUFNELL S IN THE FIELD 367 



Monday, November 27th. A heavy rain in the night 

 ushered in a beautiful and springlike morning. The fixture was 

 Navestock, but we went on to Sir Digby Neave's coverts, 

 all of which were drawn blank, to the obvious vexation of 

 Sheffield Neave, &c., &c. Another blank day, long and 

 dragging through mire and much wearying to spirits and body, 

 and tiresome and fretting to horses. I must really go occa- 

 sionally with the Harriers to get something like sport, for the 

 whole of November has passed without the semblance of any. 



Mr. Kortwright rode a chestnut mare sold to him by 

 Cassidy, and which had belonged to Tom Hodgson, though 

 not ridden by him. She has been recommended to me, but 

 being said to be plain I had not made any enquiries about her. 

 She is plain and looks more like a hack than a hunter, and is 

 withal somewhat hot and has something to learn. At an early 

 gap she seemed not to rise at all, and gave Kortwright a 

 cropper, covering him with dirt and tearing his coat. I caught 

 the mare for him. 



Monday, December i8th. Yesterday was a lovely spring- 

 like day after the incessant rain of the preceding forty-eight 

 hours, and this morning also broke finely, though the atmo- 

 sphere was so raw that when I first went out of doors, not 

 feelino- well, I shuddered. However, hacking- "Wide-awake" 

 to the meet at Writtle race-course, and with " Carlow " ridden 

 by Beckington, I soon warmed in the genial sunshine. A large 

 field out includino- three Qrenerations of Tufnells, and vouno- 

 Harry Bramstone and Tower, the former on a very clever 

 pretty little horse bought of Cassidy, &c. Running towards 

 Leaden Wood, just as I landed over a wide place in the road 

 on " Wide-awake," old Palmer was jogging past. I jokingly 

 rowed him, saying, " The very devil must be in you. Palmer, 

 for you are everlastingly in my way whenever I am jumping 

 into a road." 



Tuesday, December 26th. The fixture was Leaden 

 Roothing, and having to show " Cognac " to Biss, who was 

 coming especially from Cheltenham to see him, I sent on 

 " Wide-awake " by eleven, in the hope of having time, after 

 showing "Cognac" over a fence or two, to join the hounds 

 by riding on with Biss towards the meet, and talking of details 

 as we went in the event of his thinking the horse likely to suit 

 him. He got to Blackmore soon after eleven o'clock, Frank 

 having kindly driven to Brentwood to meet him ; and having 

 the horses ready saddled I mounted " Cognac," putting him 

 on "Peep o' Day," and Beckington on "Carlow." We went 



