202 NIMROU S HUNTING TOUR 



and he must sometimes draw over his game. This, however, is but 

 a feather in the scale, when set against his fine judgment, quick eye, 

 and his promptness in assisting his hounds in difficulties, and in 

 chase. 



Sir Bellingham Graham's judgment in horseflesh is supreme. I 

 have heard several Melton men say that, though the stables at 

 Quorn have often been filled with good horses, they never contained 

 so many good great horses as in Sir Bellingham's time. His present 

 stud is a very superb one. Out of the twenty-six hunters for 

 himself and his men, there is only one — and Jack, the second 

 whipper-in, says of her that, " though she is but a little one, she is 

 a sweet one" — that is not well up to 13 and 14 stone, and he has 

 ten prime ones for his own riding. Besides these, he sold two whilst 

 I was with him, one to Lord Howe for 200. and the other, a 

 whipper-in's horse, to Mr. Mytton, for 250 guineas, who told me he 

 would not take 700 guineas for him from any man. 



Before I quit Sir Bellingham's stable, I must mention one circum- 

 stance. In the London season last year, a country-looking fellow 

 called on the Baronet, and asked him whether he would sell two of 

 his horses. He said he would ; that they were down at Norton 

 Conyers (his seat in Yorkshire), and the price one thousand guineas. 

 The countryman purchased them, and they have never been licarcl of 

 since. Some time afterwards the countryman came again, and 

 asked the price of Bee's- wax. " Five hundred guineas," said Sir 

 Bellingham. "As I have been a good customer," said the country- 

 man, " I hope you will take pounds." The Baronet's ansv^er was 

 laconic — " I'll see you d — d first." 



I must here notice John Pulfrey, the Baronet's groom, who has 

 been fourteen years in his service. The way in which his horses 

 have lived under sixteen stone will save me the trouble of saying 

 anything more than that Sir Bellingham is going to put him into 

 one of the best farms on his estate. 



Having mentioned Pulfrey, it is but right I should mention two 

 other most essential characters in this establishment — viz. the two 

 whippers-in, Will Staples and Jack Wriggles worth. Will is the son 

 of Old Tom Staples, late huntsman to Lord Middleton, and once 

 kennel-huntsman to Sir Bellingham. He has lived with his present 



