The Onorn Hunt 



imagined, result in universal steadiness. ^^The 

 Druid " tells a story of a brilliant burst of twenty 

 minutes after a hare ending with a kill on the 

 turnpike road. ^^Ah !" observed the philosophical 

 master, ^^ there are days when they will hunt any- 

 thing." Lord Sefton followed Meynell, and did 

 things in an imperial manner, with two packs and 

 two huntsmen, and everything on like scale. His 

 lordship was the first to introduce the custom of 

 second horsemen. He was a very heavy man, and 

 stopped for nothing, so that no horse could live 

 under him for more than ten minutes if hounds 

 ran hard. But he had a grand stud, nearly all 

 thoroughbred and as large as dray-horses; and 

 with three or even four out at a time he managed 

 to hold his own with the light-weights. Then arose 

 the star of Melton, which still shines, if not with 

 quite such supreme lustre. From 1805 to 1807 

 Lord Foley was king, and then came the great 

 Assheton Smith, who ruled for ten years, and was 

 succeeded by '^Squire" Osbaldeston. In 182 1 

 Osbaldeston went into Hampshire, changing 

 quarters with Sir Bellingham Graham ; but the 

 change did not last long, and in 1823 ^^the Squire " 

 was back in Quorndon, Sir BelHngham going into 

 the Albrighton country. 



Both Assheton Smith and Osbaldeston hunted 

 their own hounds, and in that capacity Dick 

 Christian, who, thanks to '^The Druid," is our 



19 



