264 NIMROD'S HUNTING TOUR 



earths were put to ; so Mr. Williamson accompanied me to Eushyford 

 to see my stud, and to help to kill the day. On the road thither, he 

 shewed me something he thought would please. This was a very 

 high timber fence, into the road, just newly covered with broken 

 stones, which Bob, the whipper-in, had ridden over a few days 

 before, merely to turn ho2inds. From the concussion produced, the 

 horse was unable to keep his legs, and floundered on his head on 

 the ground. Bob, however, stuck to him, hanging at one time only 

 by his spurs ; but he never ceased hallooing, " Get away, get away, 

 get away, hounds ! " whereas most people would have been thinking 

 of being trepanned. His situation must have been an awful one, 

 or it would have been thought lightly of by Mr. Williamson ; for in 

 all my days I never saw — indeed it is impossible to see — a more 

 nerveless rider than the renowned Billy Williamson — I beg pardon, 

 but in the Sedgefield country Mr. Williamson is known by no other 

 name — of whom I must make more honourable mention hereafter. 



Friday, 8th. — The Lambton hounds met at Butterwick, three 

 miles from Sedgefield — a long draw, hounds very steady, but no fox. 

 Fancied I was near some great game-preserver ; or, what is worse, 

 some vulpecide, and noted the same in my book, but said nothing. 

 We found ourselves at last by the side of a beautiful whin called 

 Gi'eenside, and here we had a beautiful find. We had also some- 

 thing more : we had a good display of a correct ear and attention to 

 hounds in Mr. Beckwith, a sportsman of great note, and also one of 

 the has-beens over a country ; but his great weight, added to being 

 the wrong side of fifty, now stops him. This gentleman is likewise 

 dubbed " Billy " among his familiars, and the name of Billy Beck- 

 with is well known in the North. He resides at Trindon House, 

 near Sedgefield, has a good estate in the county of Durham, and is 

 one of the best shots going. 



Our Greenside fox gave us a very sharp burst to Lord Howden's 

 plantations, where we changed, and could not do much afterwards. 

 Billy Williamson went, as usual, like a good one upon The Barber, 

 who gave him two falls ; but that is a trifle to a man resolved to get 

 to hounds. A Dr. Trotter (M.D.) also, son of that distinguished 

 sportsman, Mr. Trotter of Staindrop, near Eaby, went in excellent 

 form on a well-bred grey. We left off this day on the beautiful 



