Il8 BILLY HAY, OF GREAT BOWDEN. 



with a strong aroma of pipe clay and clierr}'' brandy in 

 the front hall. Cherry brandy was much appreciated as 

 'jumping powder,' and we always had a liberal supply on 

 hand for the opening day. My father had purchased for 

 me for ^12 a nimble brown pony whom we named Gipsy. 

 He could jump like a stac^, but was disfigured by a huge 

 wart under one of his eyes. Ponies were cheaper then 

 than now. I saw a lot of sport on Gipsy for many years. 

 I extract the following record of my first day's hunting 

 from a diary I kept religiously. 



" I began on Gipsy at Gumley in cords and leggings 

 (sic), a poor dress for hunting, but I soon had a pair 

 of white cords and varnished leggings, which made a 

 good substitute for Napoleons, and lasted me all the 

 season." I well remember what weighed on my little soul 

 when I penned these lines. There was another little boy 

 out hunting who excited my jealousy ; he was just about 

 my age, perhaps a few months older. He had the most 

 immaculate white buck-skin breeches, butcher boots, real 

 spurs and iron stirrups (I had to ride in leather toe-caps), 

 a perfect fitting black Melton jacket by Wolmerhausen, a 

 white cambric tie with a coral pin, and a smart pot hat ; 

 moreover, he was mounted on a horse of elephantine 

 proportions, with a rat-tail. He was a perfect picture in 

 all respects, and good looking withal. I wanted to be 

 rigged out on precisely the same lines as that little boy, 

 but it couldn't be done. Hinc illce lacrymce. That little 

 boy was Billy Hay, of Great Bowden, in after life my 

 dearest and most devoted friend, and of whom more anon. 

 His father was very proud of him, as indeed he might well 

 be. But to return to the diary record of the first day. 



Gumley, Monday, November 12th, 1S60. They first drew 

 the Wood blank and the old covert, drew the new covert, 

 found and broke in the direction of Laughton, but turned to 

 the right pointing for Saddington, and had a good run by the 

 reservoir, making a ring through the wood back into the 

 covert, when they ran to ground in a rabbit hole ; found a 



