THOMAS ASSHETON SMITH. 189 



the 20th of March. More than two thousand horsemen, one-third 

 of whom appeared in pink, were assembled. Men of the highest 

 birth and station, men who had served their country with deeds 

 of most daring gallantry by sea and land, men who in political 

 or social life were the most brilliant in repute, thronged to do 

 honour to the first fox-hunter of the day. They had come from 

 remote counties, and more were pouring in along the grassy slopes 

 and vales, or skirting the well-known gorse covers. As Dick Chris- 

 tian remarked, ' the first lot were at Shankton Holt when the tail 

 end wern't out of RoUeston gates.' Cold must have been the heart 

 of him who could behold without joyous emotion the crowds of 

 grey-headed horsemen hurrying forward to shake hands with their 

 old friend and fellow-sportsman, each calling vividly to memory 

 some scene where he had acted the most conspicuous part. More 

 than twenty years had rolled away since he had resigned the lead 

 in that magnificent country. There had been splendid riders since 

 his day ; and while time had thinned the ranks of the veterans, 

 younger men had either achieved or were achieving fame — Frank 

 Holyoake, now Sir Francis Goodricke, well known for his splendid 

 feats on Brilliant ; Colonel Lowther, Lord Wilton, Lord Archibald 

 Seymour, George Payne, Little * Gilmour, Lord Gardner, George 

 Anson, and a host of sportsmen, well deserving the reputation they 

 had won, yet all strangers to the doings of this hero of the Quorn, 

 except through anecdotes familiar to them as 'household words.' 

 In addition to these were a very goodly display of carriages-and-four 

 filled with ladies, and pedestrians without number. The hounds 

 with Dick Burton were drawn up on the lawn, while the vast group 

 of horsemen formed a circle, with the carriages and assembled crowd 

 outside. After the friendly salutations were over, and their enthu- 

 siastic character astonished no one but the Illustrious Stranger f 

 present, Mr. Smith took his hounds to Shankton Holt, where he 

 drew only the bottom of the covert ; thence to Norton Gorse, 

 Stanton Wood, Glooston Wood, and Fallow Close, all blank. It 



* Like William of Deloraine, ^^ good at need" 

 t Prince Ernest, brother to Prince Albert. 



