182 THE HORSE AND HIS EIDER. 



times, Thomas Assheton Smith. As combining the character of a 

 skilful sportsman with that of a desperate horseman, perhaps his 

 parallel is not to be found ; and his name will be handed down to 

 posterity as a specimen of enthusiastic zeal in one individual pursuit, ■ 

 very rarely equalled. From the first day of the season to the last he 

 was always the same man, the same desperate fellow over a country, 

 and unquestionably possessing, on every occasion and at every hour 

 of the day, the most bulldog nerve ever exhibited in the saddle. 

 His motto was, ' I'll be with my hounds ; ' and all those who have 

 seen him in the field must acknowledge he made no vain boast of 

 his prowess. His falls were countless ; and no wonder, for he rode 

 at places which he kneiv no horse could leap over ; but his object 

 was to get, one way or the other, into the field with his hounds. As 

 a horseman, however, he has ever been superexcellent. He sits in 

 his saddle as if he were part of his horse, and his seat displays vast 

 power over his frame. In addition to his power his hand is equal to 

 Chifney's, and the advantage he experiences from it may be gleaned 

 from the following expression. Being seen one day hunting his 

 hounds on Radical, always a difficult, but at that time a more than 

 commonly difficult, horse to ride, he was asked by a friend why he 

 did not put a martingale on him, to give him more power over 

 his mouth. ' Thank ye,' he replied, ' but my left hand shall be my 

 martingale.' " 



His fame and success in Lincolnshire were as great as 



at Quorn. The Melton men followed him, knowing they 



were sure of good sport wherever he went, although 



scarcely one of them was quite prepared for the formidable 



drains or dykes in the Burton Hunt. Shortly after their 



arrival there, they found a fox near the kennels that 



crossed a* dyke called the Tilla. Tom Smith, the only 



one who rode at it, got in, but over, leaving behind him 



fourteen of the Meltonians floundering in the water at 



