THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



break ? ' ' The Captain's, sir.' ' And that travelling chariot ? ' 

 ' The Captain's, sir.' 



Tlien turnino- into a stable in which there were six hne 

 coach-horses— ' Whose horses are these?' was the question 

 put to another helper. 'Captain Askham's, sir.' 'And ihese^ 

 resumed the old gentleman, on finding six more in another 

 stable ' Captain Askham's, sir.' ' And tJie^^e ? '—ditto repeated 

 -ill a third. 'Captain Askham's, sir.' 'And pray whose 

 hear is that?' inquired the uncle of another man, whose 

 path he crossed in the yard. 'Captain Askham's, sir.' 'And 

 the monkeuV 'The Captain's, sir.' 'My God!' exclaimed 

 the uncle ; ' and pray where is the Captain himself ? ' A-bed, 

 in the house,' answered his informant. 'Let me see him, 

 then,' resumed the old one; 'show me the way to his 



room. 



The sequel to this story is short. The uncle addressed 

 his nephew with—' I am just come in time to save you from 

 a jail. In six months more you will be in one. I will advance 

 what is requisite to discharge your debts, on your assigning to 

 me the rental of your estate, until they are all liquidated ; and, 

 in the meantime, I will allow you two thousand pounds a 

 year.' The Captain consented to this proposal. He retired 

 to his seat in a distant country, ' to darve; as he expressed 

 himself 'on two thousand a year'; but by good management, 

 the general result of dearly-bought experience, he contrived 

 to live very much like a gentleman, and to indulge himself 

 in his favourite passion for the road, but only to the extent 

 of one coach, and one team of tolerably good greys. In a few 

 years his encumbrances were paid off; he once more became 

 the receiver of his own rents, and no man made a better use 

 than he did of eight thousand a year, cutting his coat according 

 to his cloth, and having nothing more to do with either monkeys 



or bear-s. . i i i. 



It is scarcely necessary to observe, that this party had not 

 long passed through Hyde Park turnpike, before the subject of 

 hunting formed a part of their discourse. It was commenced 

 by Sir John himself, with some questions put to Lord Ednion- 

 ston, whom he had not seen, until that morning, smci' the 

 hunting season had concluded. 



' Well, Edmonston,' said Sir John, ' what have you been 

 doin^r this season in Leicestershire ? I mean since Christmas, 



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