240 NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 



It appears from these lines, that there were peculiarities about his 

 person as well as his seat on his horse. As regarded the former, he was 

 cleanly to an extreme for a person in his situation, and especially obser- 

 vant of the colour of his breeches and boot-tops, which was dark, but 

 with a strong polish on the latter. His address was remarkably good, 

 and there was something in his general demeanour that would have led 

 a stranger to suppose, that there was a cross of good blood in his veins 

 — in short, that he was the son of a gentleman, instead of a gentleman's 

 steward. As a horseman, he was super-excellent ; and yet, he was what 

 is called a left-handed horseman, (although in fact not a left-handed 

 horseman, which every man is taught to be, and what nine hundred and 

 ninety-nine in a thousand are,) for he held his horse with his right hand, 

 and his whip in his left*. But he rode with a peculiarly light hand, 

 and had a curious, I might say unique, method of shaking the reins of 

 his bridle, when going up to a large fence, which no doubt his horse 

 knew the meaning of. He was, I have reason to believe, a very quick 

 man over a country. 



But desirable as quickness, both of thought and deed, may be in 

 huntsmen, there is one evil attends it when carried to an extreme ; 

 they expect their luhippers-in to be equally quick as themselves, and 

 such I understood was Crane's case. Some rather amusing stories, 

 indeed, are afloat in Fife, as regards him and his men in the field. For 

 example — Tom Batters, now first whip to the Fife — and a capital one he 

 is — also whipped-in to Crane, but it was young days with him then. 

 After one or two good ratings from him, on one occasion, administered 

 rather quickly in succession, the following soliloquy was overheard 



* A coachman who holds the reins in his right, and the whip in the left hand, is 

 called a left-handed coachman. 



