4IO LEAVES FROM A HUNTING DIARY 



Loftus /\rkwrio-ht, in bagging a subscriber. He waited until 

 after the ameliorating influence of a glass of sherry and a 

 mince pie at our Master's * had had their clue effect, and then 

 riding up alongside me began a conversation by remarking 

 that they had not found in "Your covert" (Thoby Wood) 

 on Monday, but that it was generally a sure find. Then he 

 admired my nag and hazarded an opinion that he was good 

 at water, in which, however, he soon got out of his depth. 

 This he followed by other polite and agreeable speeches. 

 Then he remarked upon the excellent way in which "the thing 

 was now done," but the slowness of subscriptions in coming in, 

 and his duties as Secretary — and finally hinted a suggestion 

 whether I would like to subscribe. These delicate approaches 

 I soon satisfied him were thrown away, inasmuch as I had 

 subscribed to Conyers' and quite intended to subscribe to 

 Greaves', and so we soon agreed upon the mode in which 

 my contribution should be forwarded. This was a contrast 

 to my first subscription to Conyers', and the story which 

 attached to the adventures of that day. 



(At this time Mr, Vickerman had a horse, a rare good 

 performer if in the mind, called " The Clipper," which had a 

 rooted objection to a ditch to him for the first jump. Riding 

 him to a meet of the staghounds at Willingale on Tuesday, 

 January i6th, 1855, after having been delayed by importunate 

 tradesmen at starting, he was led to trv a short cut across 

 country, however, " The Clipper " resolutely refused the first 

 fence, but calling up the aid of a lad who was ploughing, he 

 managed to drive him over ; but he broke away from the lad 

 anci galloped over the next field, and only waited long enough 

 at the gate to tantalise them and then made off through a long 

 line of gateways when Mr. Vickerman had the mortification of 

 seeing him oro from field to field until he lost si^ht of him. 

 Let me tell the rest of the story in his own words.) 



Despatching the lad in one direction I took another, and 

 as I toiled over the ploughed fields I was in no amiable mood, 

 either with my horse or the provoking tradespeople, who by 

 delaying me had been the cause of my misadventure and 

 apparently spoiled my last chance of seeing a hound to-day. 

 Struyfcrlino- on hot, vexed and encumbered, another lad told me 

 that someone had caught my horse, and to my intense disgust I 

 saw a drab-coated fellow, who looked like a country tradesman, 

 mounted on "The Clipper" and galloping him round and 



Mr. Henley Greaves was living at Marden Ash then. — Ed. 



