THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



I have ordered a good bowl of " bishop." But liere is Hersou 

 coming ; you will now see the best and fastest team this day in 

 England : and so tliey ought to be, for he has not a horse in his 

 coach-stable that cost him less than a hundred, and he gave two 

 hundred a-piece for the leaders he has in to-day. I know them 

 at this distance, by their action.' 



Vive minutes, or less, brought this splendid team to the door. 

 To some of this party Mr. Herson and his friends were known, 

 and the usual introduction to the others being soon concluded, 

 luncheon was the order of the day, and ample justice was done 

 to it — b}' the Farndon party, especially. A walk to the stable- 

 yard followed, which may be said to have been a matter of 

 course, from the nature of the parties assembled, and the pre- 

 vailing similarity of their tastes. The following may be relied 

 upon for its contents : — 



In the hunters' stables were seven first-rate horses, but not 

 looking to advantage, being stripped of their clothing, and, in 

 the language of the grooms of that day, ' put out of condition,' 

 previously to being turned out for the summer, the Baronet 

 not having quite relinquished the grazing system, although his 

 stud remained abroad for a much less time than that of his 

 neighbour did, and were allowed a certain portion of corn. 

 They appeared to our hero to be just the sort of horses to carry 

 thirteen stone, which they did carry, whilst under their owner, 

 let the country or pace be what they may. In short, they 

 were ridden by one of the first horsemen England ever saw. 

 Amongst them was Watchmaker, the Baronet's favourite horse, 

 and of which we have already spoken as having signalised 

 himself on the Bosworth day, in one instance ; in the struggle 

 between the orange and red, in another ; and also as having 

 been depictured in the Spo7iiii<j Magazine, in the act of 

 taking a desperate leap, and setting the whole field. He 

 was a grey gelding, sixteen hands high, of singularly fine 

 form, and a delightful horse to ride over every description of 

 ground. 



The next thing that attracted the eye of the party was the 

 Baronet's driving coach, which stood in the yard, with the bars 

 on the head of the pole, greatcoats on the box, and behind ; 

 lamps in the irons, with the slides down, but fresh trimmed — 

 everything, in short, ready for a start. The fact was, the 

 Baronet was going to dine with a friend, residing about twelve 



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