1863] MR. E. J. BIRD. 227 



with whom every horse went pleasantly. Once, however, 

 he made an exception in favour of a friend who was stay- 

 ing with him at Barton Hall. The friend started later 

 than he did and never arrived at the meet. As they were 

 riding into Barton at the end of the day they saw the 

 friend coming out of the yard of the Mutton inn, two 

 hundred yards from the hall. He had ridden to the inn, 

 stabled his horse there, and spent his day in the bar 

 parlour ! 



Charles, who was very fond both of the Badger and 

 his owner, enjoyed telling how hounds once ran at a 

 tremendous pace from Radburne to Sutton Gorse, and 

 how the pair jumped the two forks of the brook, and, 

 to wind up with, the main brook below the confluence 

 of the forks, at a yawning cattle-drinking place. The 

 pace was too good to admit of looking about much, and 

 the brook with its fork is of a tortuous nature. Lord 

 Shrewsbury on a steeple-chaser followed him. At the 

 gorse, hounds divided, and only Mr. Bird was with Charles 

 to Longford Mill, where they joined forces again, and ran 

 on to Snelston, where they were stopped. An account of 

 this run appeared in the papers, which gave rise to some 

 amusement, and also to a little heart-burning ; for Mr. 

 Broadley Smith, who had really gone uncommonly well, 

 was not even mentioned, and was very sore about it. 

 Mr. Bird was in the same boat, but did not mind, having 

 had his fair share of fame at one time and another. Mr. 

 John Smith was mentioned, however, though he had not 

 been particularly forward on that occasion, and it leaked 

 out that he had gone home with the scribe, who had had 

 his imagination spurred by a deep draught of Mr. Smith's 

 famous jumping powder ! Here is the recipe of those who 

 care to try it. Orange brandy, whisky, curacoa, and ginger 

 wine, and you must go on mixing and tasting till the 

 component parts are blended to your liking ! By that 

 time the biggest fence looks small. Not that Mr. John 

 Smith required anything of the sort to stimulate his 

 courao:e. 



