fi4 LIFE OF MYTTON. 



of game, 333 of whicli were pheasants ; and their two 



opponents, 424 head, all in the Halston preserves. On 



another occasion, an intimate friend of his and mine, 



together with himself, killed a Jiead of game every 



three minutes for five successive hours ! I state this 



" in verbo sacerdotis" so that the fact may be relied 



upon, but I withhold the reverend slaughterer's name. 



It always appeared to me, however, that racing 



<was more Mr. Mytton's passion than either shoot- 



ling or hunting ; and could he have been divested 



•of that destroying spirit which accompanied him, 



;he might have cut a very conspicuous figure on 



■what may be called the country turf. He had the 



•courage to purchase good horses,— for example, he 



gave three thousand guineas for Longwalst — and 



his never- failing memory enabled him to measure 



their ability by that of others in a manner that 



turned to his account. Previously, indeed, to the 



loss of his trainer and rider, William Dunn, who was 



killed by a fall in riding one of his horses at Chester,* 



he had his full share of success ; but it appeared 



to forsake him gradually after that period. The 



• This wns in 1822, wlien Dunn was riding a tliree-year old colt called 

 "Mallet. The famous jockey William Scott rode, and also fell, in the 

 same race, but sustained no material injury. 



