I04 Reminiscences of a 



me, who was then one of the break-neck division, to look at 

 danger where it was not ; my service as second horseman to 

 him lasted for two seasons, and then I became second whipper- 

 in for a couple of seasons to the leading pack of the time. I 

 had comfortable " apartments " at the kennels, and Hked the 

 business as second whipper-in, but eventually gave it up to 

 see a change, as so many other servants do, sometimes to 

 their own loss. One particularly good run, whilst I was with 

 the Brocklesby, is still in my mind ; it was from Irby Holme, 

 at least that is where we met. I cannot, at the moment, 

 remember the name of the wood where we found, but it 

 was an old, big wood belonging to Squire Tomlin. Lady 

 Yarborough rode " Shamrock," a grey gelding about sixteen 

 hands high. We went at a tremendous pace over Stalling- 

 borough marshes, pointing for East Holton, racing past 

 Thornton College and Goxhill ; then bearing to the left, 

 killed our fox at Wootton. Her Ladyship rode bang in 

 front all the way, and the good horse she rode died at 

 Wootton ; it did not die from being over-ridden, as it 

 appeared to be fresh at the end of the run, but must have 

 been troubled with heart disease. The run was a nine mile 

 point. My mount was a chestnut mare we got from Chel- 

 tenham. Alfred Thatcher, father of the present Cottesmore 

 huntsman, was first whipper-in to the Brocklesby at this 

 time ; he was a rattling good horseman and whipper-in. The 

 Earl of Yarborough was not a splasher, but rode nice 

 cattle, and took great interest in hunting matters. He quite 

 enjoyed the sport, though not in the best of health at the 

 time ; and, considering all things, he saw as much as most 

 people who were out. We had a splendid stable of horses 

 at Brocklesby ; there was no better hunting stable in the 

 world ; there were eighty horses, and not a bad one amongst 



