THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



so fat from this good land, that they never seem to me to be 

 anything like themselves till after Christmas is turned ; and, 

 moreover, when I have done with them for the season, and they 

 are stripped for turning out for the summer, they appear to me 

 to be just in proper trim.' 



' Well,' said Mr. Robson, ' I am not one of those who refuse to 

 listen to reason ; and from what I have heard from James and 

 yourself, I am much disposed to believe that this method of 

 treating valuable hunters may be better than letting them run 

 loose in the park, that is to say, as far as their condition is 

 concerned ; but the expense is very great.' 



' One would think so,' resumed James, ' but master says 

 it is not. Indeed, he declares it is much the cheapest plan ; 

 and Lord Sandford's groom told me he has often heard ray lord 

 say he considers he has saved £2000 in the hve years that 

 he has tried it in his large stud. In the first place, never a 

 summer, he said, passed over before, that some accident, or 

 indeed accidents, did not happen which occasioned him to buy 

 more horses : and in the next, he said that, if one of the stud 

 only were to be sold at Tattersall's at the commencement of 

 the following season, he would fetch as much extra price, by 

 his superior condition and appearance, as would repay the 

 expenses of summering the whole lot on this plan. In fact, 

 the groom told me he had seen my lord's own calculation, 

 which showed that, had he to pay for his twelve hunters at 

 grass for three months in the summer, the difterence between 

 the charge for it, and the expenses of keeping them after this 

 fashion, would not be more than twenty-five or thirty pounds 

 at furthest.' 



' Depend upon it, my lord is right ! ' exclaimed Dick. 



' Well, I think so, too,' observed the Scotchman. 



'/ am (juite sure of it,' said the groom ; ' and I am also sure 

 tliat no gentleman's horses in any hunt we may go into next 

 season, unless it is Lord Sandford's, and a few others, belonging 

 to some of his friends who have acted on his plan, will look as 

 ours will look ; and I have reason to believe we shall be able to 

 do with one helper less in the stables.' 



'That will be no trifle,' said the steward, and here the 

 conversation dropped. 



When the next season commenced, the appearance and 

 condition of the horses fully answered the expectations of our 



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