28 THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. 



Ingram bred a good deal from Roman, whose best daughter 

 was Hyacinth. But we must not forget old Agnes 

 by the Hoar Cross Abelard from Ringlet by Belvoir 

 Governor. She is fourteen years old, and, as her Alaric 

 and Adeline are right able proxies, she wanders about like 

 a fat Mrs. Armitage of the kennel, along with Hostile by 

 Sir Watkin's Admiral, who was making most peaceful 

 overtures to the haymakers for a share of their supper 

 when we caught sight of the pair. Agnes had well earned 

 her ease, as she never did wrong, and would pick out the 

 scent at four cross roads, when nothing else could do any- 

 thing, and even when she was eleven and quite deaf, she 

 could hunt the line by herself." 



A lucky chance brought the author into contact with 

 James Gamble, who had been for thirty-six years in the 

 stables and kennels at Hoar Cross, and who was able 

 to remember old Tom Leedham the first as a very old 

 man, coming out hunting on a grey pony. He described 

 him as "a very rude man," and very possibly he was 

 so to a small boy of twelve years old. " Joe Leedham was 

 a fine horseman, and his brothers, Jack and Tom, whipped 

 in to him. They had three horses apiece, and Joe's 

 favourites were Wimbush and Morrison. Then, later on, 

 there was Vanguard, a great, upstanding chestnut, with a 

 blaze face. Tom rode him. The young squire was very 

 fond of Aaron, bred at Willowbridge, and Alderman ; but 

 there was nothing better than the bay blood horse, Don- 

 caster. The young squire rode him at the Sudbury Park 

 palings, coming from Mackley. The gates were all locked 

 in those days. He, with Mr. John Mynors of Eaton Wood, 

 charged them all abreast, and carried the panel clean 

 away. Why, no horse could have cleared them. At last 

 Doncaster went a roarer, and Charles rode him in the first 

 part of the great run in '68. But Jack Leedham was 

 the best horseman of the lot, whatever he rode had to go 

 somewhere, either over or through. He used to ride Mr. 

 Michael Bass's new horses a lot, just to find out what they 

 were like. Yes, Mr. Bass had a standing bet of half a 



