YOUNG PASSINGHAM 53 



about twenty yards into the bridle-way, from a place called 

 Tentlow Lane, when Passingham discovered his father at the 

 other end, coming on foot to meet us. The instant he saw him 

 he stuck the spurs into his mare, and shrieking all manner of 

 cries, rode right at the old man, who, seeing a horse almost on 

 him, had nothing left for it but to tumble into the ditch, by 

 which alone he could escape being ridden over. His son passed 

 him in terrific guise, and on reaching the other end of the 

 bridle-way, was round the corner and out of sight in an instant. 

 On my coming to the spot, the old man was apostrophising 

 " madmen " in general, and using a favourite word of his own 

 manufacture, which always did duty for an oath : " Tarnation 

 seize the warmint! if I only knew what feller that was, Fd 

 sarve him out, that I would." Having said all I could that was 

 civil to him, I also proceeded on my way into Heston Field. 

 George Passingham rejoined us ere long, and, on my asking him 

 why on earth he had charged the old man, and risked killing 

 him, he replied, using a favourite expression of his, " Charged 

 him, my eye ! kill him, no, no ; I knowed there was no chance 

 of that. Ha ! ha ! ha ! didn't the governor cut into the ditch ! 

 My eye ! 'twas the only way to do it, to put him into such a 

 tarnation funk that he wouldn't recognise me ! He don't like 

 my hunting on market-days, mun ; and as I ought to have been 

 at Brentford, 'twouldn't do for the guv'nor to see me here along 

 with you." 



Poor young Passingham ! he, I believe without intending it, 

 was very obtrusive and pert in his manners; and one day, 

 addressing Captain Hammersley, who was hunting with us from 

 Hounslow Barracks, on his nice little brown horse Claret, he 

 said, " My eye ! Hammersley, you've been in the dirt and almost 

 scratched your nose off." To this the Captain haughtily replied 

 in strong Hibernian accent, " By Jasus, Mistre Passingham, I 

 never allow any won to spake familiarly to me, who has not 

 been properly introduced." 



Passingham said nothing at the time, but he bottled up the 

 fierce reproof for a future occasion, and I believe thought of it 



