A LESSON TO A LACQUEY 61 



in saving the deer, by going into water, rather than that I 

 should have to ride at a foot-pace home with my hounds in wet 

 clothes. I liked him much, but there was an off-hand inde- 

 pendent manner about him, which made him unpopular with 

 many of the other gentlemen who hunted with me. So useful 

 and so ready did he ever show himself to promote any of my 

 interests in that hunting country, that, as a token of remem- 

 brance, I presented him with a hunting-whip, the handle of 

 which was the representation of a stag's head in silver. 



On a beautiful scenting day, we were just commencing a 

 Very fine run, crossing from the plough country over the Ux- 

 bridge Road between Hillingdon and Hayes for the Harrow 

 Vale, when the following occurrence took place. I was on Jack- 

 o'- Lantern, and my poor friend, one of those now no more, 

 Colonel John Lyster, then a Captain in the Guards, was in the 

 same field with me : everybody else had skirted that field by a 

 lane leading in the same direction. As we crossed the field, 

 hounds running hard, I might have been fifty yards in advance 

 of Lyster, and, seeing the gate out of the field exactly in my line 

 with a huge red-breeched footman standing at it, on London 

 West-End legs, looking like a bumble bee, all red behind, I called 

 to him to open the gate, and, as I neared it, received the reply 

 " that he'd be d d if he did." We had no time for delay, so I 

 shouted to Lyster to charge the live quick hedge, amounting to a 

 " bullfinch " as previous experience had taught me, and " to put 

 in plenty of powder." Lyster went straight at and through the 

 hedge, which closed behind him again, like a harlequin, and 

 landed in a narrow green lane. I had to turn Jack for a run at 

 it, and, from the turn of the hounds, though over last, chance 

 put me first, and we both had to go down the lane and pass the 

 surly footman or coachman, whichever he was. As I neared him, 

 going then at a trot, I told him I would report his insolence to 

 his master, whosoever he might be. " Will you ? " cried the 

 fellow, " then you shall see him now," and, seizing Jack by the 

 curb-bridle, he pulled him up in spite of me. A blow from the 

 double thong over his arm only had the effect of making him 



