THE I.IFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



me that the Quornites had tlic best of it towards the finish, by 

 the superiority of their horses, and the condition of them, for, 

 until the hist thi"ee miles, the orange and red appeared to me, 

 and to others, to be, as nearly as we could guess, equal. 



' I only regret that you did not see the run, which was a 

 splendid one from first to last, and I strongly recommend you 

 to the Atherstone country. And I also recommend you to see 

 another pack kept in this part of the country, more for the 

 sake of the owner of them, than for their performances in the 

 field. I allude to Mr. Adderley, who is one of the breed of 

 English country gentlemen of the old school — most polite, 

 most unaffected, most modest, most humane, perhaps, of his 

 order; but the most unlikely person to be at the head of a 

 pack of foxhounds that England or any other country can 

 produce. By the bye, I will tell you no bad anecdote respecting 

 him, which I had from his own lips. Being in want of a hunts- 

 man, one of the most celebrated of the present day happening 

 at that time to be out of place, offered his services, and was 

 engaged. He arrived on a Saturday night on his hack, with a 

 small pair of saddle-back's under him, leavino^ his lucrofao-e to 

 follow him per coach. The following morning he was desired 

 to feed his hounds at nine o'clock, as Mr. Adderley required 

 that all his servants should attend both mornino- and evening 

 church. The huntsman obeyed orders to the very letter, and 

 behaved remarkably well in church. At nine o'clock at night 

 the bell rang for family prayers, at which Mr. Sliaw (for such 

 was his name) conducted himself with becoming reverence. 

 But when Monday morning arrived, where was Mr. Shaw ? He 

 was not to be found, having put his saddle-bags under him, on 

 his hack, and trotted quietly off — leaving word that " he thought 

 he was hired to hunt a pack of foxhounds, but finding that his 

 chief occupation was to i^ray, he begged to resign his situation 

 to one who was better qualified for the office than himself." 



' I must now conclude. These long letters will make you 

 imagine, with Mr. Shaw, that my chief occupation is not 

 hunting, but writing; I, therefore, bid you, for the present, 

 adieu. 



' Francis Raby.' 



267 



