REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN. 79 



mi2:ht have been a serious affiiir for me but for old 

 Eton. Hurrah! then, for the Etonians. I had a glimpse 

 of their coming up one by one, little and big ; so I 

 "sung out," as sailors say, " Eton to the rescue!" and 

 I declare this, that from the least boy able to kick a 

 man's shin, up to the big youth able — Heaven save 

 the mark! I was about to use the words of action, and 

 say able "to punch his head;" but I have been so 

 condemned for using that phrase in a pamphlet on 

 the administration of the Game Laws and combat 

 with a restive game-stealer, that I dare not use it 

 again — able, then, to return him to his cottage so 

 disfigured that his mamma would refuse him admit- 

 tance, there was not one Eton boy but seemed right 

 willino- to lend me a hand. What mio;ht have been 

 the character the fray had then assumed I do not 

 know, but at that instant tlie field of red coats as 

 well as the " tawny " aids, came galloping up from 

 the bridge, to which they had ridden, and every one 

 of the bargemen then changed their tactics, and pre- 

 tended to defend the deer. The deer-cart then came 

 up, the run having been a ring, and its funny old 

 driver John Baldwin in his tawny coat soon took the 

 stag in charge, dreadfully torn by the bargemen's 

 dogs, and as it proved on subsequent examination, 

 with a foreleg a compound fracture. 



My horse having been brought round, we were 

 proceeding quietly home Avith the hounds, when in 

 rather a solitary place, under the Home Park wall, 

 near Datchet, I observed the deer-cart pulled up, 

 and old John Baldwin standing on the top of it, 

 making signs for me " to come on." I was very 

 angry at this unusual sight, for the strict orders were 

 never to brine; the deer-cart within si":ht or wind of 



