MISS CHANDOS-POLE. 77 



country they had jumped in a day. It is not every one 

 who has had the curious experience which fell to her lot 

 on the last day with her father's hounds. While the Squire 

 was digging out his fox near the Common Nurseries at 

 Kadburne, her horse, Rattler, was being dug out of a 

 dyke. 



A propos of the Squire's horses, people still talk of one, 

 which they call " Townshend's grey," as being something 

 quite extraordinary. 



The writer well remembers a wonderful jump of 

 Thunder's in the seventies. Mr. Henry Boden should 

 remember it too, for " the Squire " asked him to get out 

 of his way in a road near Brailsford to allow him to have 

 a go at some double post-and-rails. Mr. Boden remon- 

 strated, but Thunder solved the problem by breaking the 

 top rail of both flights, and by landing without a fall. 

 The rails were new and strong. There was barely room to 

 go in and out, but they were very wide to fly, especially 

 with only the width of a narrow road for a run at them. 



This very inadequate account cannot perhaps be 

 brought to a close better than with a few lines which 

 ended the tale of his last day with his own hounds. 



" Sutton Gorse, alas ! held no fox, and thus, long after 

 six o'clock, the musical notes of the Squire's horn, blowing- 

 hounds out of covert, fell with a saddening cadence on the 

 still evening air. 



" ' And the labourers at work, and the lord in his hall, 



Have a smile and a jest when they hear of the sport. 



In ale or in claret he's toasted by all, 



For they never expect to see more of the sort. 



Then, long may it be ere he's forced to retire, 

 Por we breed very few like the galloping squire.' 



" So sang the fox-hunting poet of another squire in a 

 distant shire, but the spirited lines apply with equal force 

 nearer home. Would that the wish, which concludes them, 

 were still possible, instead of the retirement of an out-and- 

 out sportsman of the old school being an accomplished 

 fact." 



