284 



ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE 



Mr. Anderson's son, then just a lad, was exercising the 

 gelding, in company with Mr. Fred Lamb, the then 

 Master of the Northumberland and Durham Harriers, 

 and Mr. Frank J. Radford, son of Mr. James Eadford, 

 who for many years was clerk of the course at the old 

 Newcastle meetings. The whole of the party were 

 mounted. Mr. Kadford set his horse off at a gallop; 

 Grand Flaneur, evidently under the impression that he 

 was in an actual race, burst away after Mr. Radford's 

 horse at full tilt. The lad was overpowered, all his 

 efforts to pull up Grand Flaneur being unavailing, and 

 it was not until he had galloped nearly three times 

 around the old Newcastle Town Moor course — a 

 distance of nearly six miles — that the gelding, pumped 

 out, but not more so than the gallant httle fellow that 

 rode him, came to a standstill. Not desiring to run any 

 further risk with so fiery-tempered an animal, Mr. 

 Anderson, senior, resolved to get rid of Saunterer's 

 son. Mr. Fred Lamb suggested that he would 

 be a useful mount for Reynolds, who was then 

 the huntsman to the Northumberland and Durham 

 Harriers, and acquiescing in the proposition, Mr. 

 Anderson sent his man with Grand Flaneur to 

 the kennels at Cowgate, which lies on the fringe of 

 the Town Moor. Siddall Dixon, one of the hunting 

 " worthies " of the North, and who was attached to the 

 Hunt, received the old gelding. A few minutes after 

 his arrival Dixon sent a bullet through Grand Flaneur's 

 brain; his carcase was speedily boiled down and 

 distributed amongst the hounds. Picture the horror of 

 Mr. Anderson when, on his arrival at the kennels, he 

 asked, " Has Grand Flaneur arrived all right ? " he 

 learnt that the carcase of the gallant old steed was 

 already in the stomachs of the hounds. Siddall Dixon 



