CHASING AND RACING 85 



himself and the Church by riding in the Grand 

 National and completing the course, under the assumed 

 name of Mr. Ekard, which nom de course resolves itself 

 into the simple expedient of spelling his rightful 

 patronymic backwards. He was a brother of the then 

 reigning " House of Shardeloes," and like all of the 

 clan, was inclined to be somewhat dour and reserved ; 

 except in his language in the fields of sport, which was 

 apt to be anything but clerical ; but he had a touch of 

 dry and caustic humour, which was very effective in 

 checking the exuberance of irresponsible youth. His 

 cousin " Mutey," so-called because he had distin- 

 guished himself in the India Mutiny, was of a far more 

 jovial and genial disposition, and he and I fore- 

 gathered most pleasantly. When finally I resigned 

 the O.B.H. country it was again divided into its 

 original sections, East and West ; Bob Webber 

 taking the former and Capt. " Mutey " Drake the 

 latter. 



To return to " The Rector." First time we met 

 in the stubbles and roots he had evidently made up his 

 mind to take my number down, for he had heard of my 

 triumphs at the traps and wanted to show that such 

 shooting was of the tricky order, and that an Ai game 

 shot would always assert superiority. As he un- 

 doubtedly belonged to the latter category his theory 

 only remained to be proved. Well, it was a close 

 thing ; but it gave him furiously to think when, to 

 commence with, a bit of rough stuff where birds could 



