THE MARTYR 353 



A slight clieck, and some low rails made us pull up and take stock of 

 those who got over and those who didn't. Of course the Master and four 

 out of the five Miss Buxtons, Mr. Drummond Smith, Mr. Philip Lee, Mr. 

 Tosetti, Mr. Hoare, Mr. Pelly (not one of our three), on an animal that 

 required a lot of persuasion ; but Mr. Edmund Pelly on his carriage horse 

 (foolish man, saving his good hunter for the morrow's frost) couldn't manage 

 it, and the fence beyond caused a good deal of difference of opinion between 

 young Hurrell and his mount. How it terminated I cannot say, for 

 I was too intent on watching the hounds, which were being cast forward 

 down the hill. 



Mr. Tosetti, when sending- me the photo^niph (p. 352) in 

 answer to my request for one of himself and his horse to add to 

 my collection, wrote as follows :— 



" The horse is likely to prove of more interest to your 

 readers than the rider, for he was successfully steered across 

 country by the former popular Master of the Essex Hunt, Mr. 

 C. E. Green, of whom I bought him when he gave up the 

 mastership. ' The Martyr ' has ever since done me yeoman 

 service, and in spite of my unfortunate weight and the long- 

 days he has to carry nie through, he has always cheerfully 

 responded to the call made upon his extraordinary powers of 

 endurance. I consider him a reniarkable horse, and he only 

 wants a better man than myself on the top of him. My first 

 hunting experience in Essex began with dear old Mr. Vigne's 

 hounds, and ever since the Harriers have been to me a great 

 attraction, and to closely watch their hunting is my delight." 



Mr. Tosetti is too modest about his own prowess ; he does 

 not override hounds, but he does ride straight up to them, as 

 straight as either of his sons, who play for the Essex 2nd XL, 

 can clrive a loose ball to the boundary. He is a type of fox 

 and harrier follower dear to a master's heart, and they sinii him 

 up in the one word " Sportsman." 



Hitting it off, they commenced running at a great pace in the direction 

 of Spratt's Hedgerow. Follow them, or pilot the youngster back, which 

 was it to be ? (They were running towards home.) Fathers and mothers 

 of famihes will be thankful to learn that paternal affection, seasoned with a 

 little prudence, won the day. Back down the lane, in which one of the 

 Miss Buxtons would not have been riding so leisurely homewards had she 

 known what was going on: Mr. Dent would have been hurrying a bit faster, 

 and the Admiral would have rammed the spurs into his brougham nag, 

 even if he had rammed them in for a fall, rather than be out of the dance that 

 was being waltzed to the tune of " The field 1 left behind me " (new song ! 

 by ?) 



" Hark, forward ! hark, forward, away ! 

 They mean it, they mean it to-day ; 



Away like a bird in the heart of the breeze, 



Away for the Hne of the whispering trees. 



Away for the open, and go as you please, 



Hark, forward ! hark, forward, away I 



riiiLLi'Ol 



23 



