THE T.TFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



the price of tlicsc dinners, and the utmost good fellowship 

 prevailed at them. Neither were themselves only considered ; 

 their charities to coachmen and guards in distress were largely 

 dispensed, and they were the chief means of establishing the 

 ' Benevolent Club,' which, to this day, is the refuge of such 

 of that class of persons as are unable to get their living in 

 their calling — that is to say, such as had the foresight to enrol 

 their names on its books. In fact, there was nothing that could 

 be cavilled at in the proceedings of this club, unless it might 

 be the somewhat unnecessary parade of the procession, which 

 generally contained at least a dozen teams, each hand fide 

 member having an honorary member on his box. Not much, 

 however, could be said against this ; it afforded a splendid 

 spectacle on a fine June morning, each member vicing with 

 his neighbour in the elegance and i^ropriety of his turn-out ; 

 and it may in truth be said, that neither before nor since has 

 its equal been seen in any country in the world, for the excellent 

 workmanship of the carriages and harness, and the superior 

 class of horses that were attached to them. 



As may be supposed, all eyes — at least all those of the 

 members of the Four-horse Club — were upon Frank Raby and 

 his team, as he entered the square on the first morning of his 

 appearance ; neither were they, in any respect, disappointed. 

 His coach was new for the occasion ; his harness — patent 

 leather for pads and winches was not then known — as clean 

 and as shining as Lord Salton's coachman's blacking could 

 make it ; an extra pound of soap had been used that morning 

 on the horses ; and, by way of a finish, the manly and hand- 

 some person of the owner, becomingly dressed for the occasion, 

 and with a w^ell-selected houquet in his breast, produced the 

 coup. By his side sat his friend Hargrave, elected an honorary 

 member of the clvib ; and his team — the picking of his stable, 

 of course, having the black piebald ofi" leader — was pronounced 

 all-sufficient and business-like, although, as might have been 

 expected, not first-rate ; the premiership having been awarded 

 to that of Sir John Inkleton, which time and better judgment 

 had rendered perfect. But having mentioned his blacking, we 

 must not pass over the crack team of those times — that of the 

 Earl of Sal ton, who, although not a member of the club, 

 generally was on the look-out for the procession, and being, by 

 the superiority of his cattle, able to give any of tlie members 



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