I02 CHASING AND RACING 



obvious, but whose loyalty and sincerity were open to 

 doubt. His lordship paid me most lavish compliments, 

 but insinuated that in his opinion I had bitten off more 

 than I could chew in trying to hunt the whole country 

 successfully. He then begged to move that the said 

 country should be again divided into East and West ; 

 that I, with a certain proviso, should be graciously 

 permitted to deal with the East ; whilst Squire Drake's 

 cousin, Capt. " Mutey " of that ilk, should take over 

 the mastership of the West, as previously hunted by 

 Austen Mackenzie. 



Some one got on his hind legs to ask what the 

 proviso might be, and was informed that it was that I 

 should allow my kennel huntsman — at that time Jack 

 Abel — to carry the horn on alternate hunting days. 

 Now under normal circumstances I should have 

 fought this motion tooth and nail, but by this time 

 clouds were gathering over my domestic roof ; more- 

 over, I was becoming so keen on race riding that I 

 must confess that on many occasions I had put Ted 

 Jaquet in supreme command — with Abel to hunt the 

 hounds — what time I had donned my colours and 

 was desporting myself, more or less successfully, at 

 Kempton, Sandown, Hurst Park, and other arenas 

 over which ** blood " bounds. 



This gave an excellent — and, I must admit, 

 legitimate — handle for the opposition to use against 

 me. That it did so with a hearty will and hefty pull 

 I need hardly say. So I agreed to the terms, and made 



