First Whipper-in. "9 



We had another good day on an Ash Wednesday from 

 Ten Rides, Cirencester woods, through Ayley woods, and 

 straight into the Duke of Beaufort's country. The Duke of 

 Beaufort had had a big day's sport, as usual, on Ash Wed- 

 nesday, and some of his patrons had got home when we ran 

 in front of Mr. Chaplin's house near Tetbury. When they 

 saw or heard us coming they jumped on to hacks or any- 

 thing they could get hold of, and joined us, and we killed our 

 fox about a mile further on. I cannot at this length of time 

 give the name of the place, but I well remember the gents 

 that joined us. Some ran on foot, though in scarlet, because 

 they couldn't get horses at the moment, and there was a 

 large house party at Mr. Chaplin's. The point of this run 

 was always said to be eleven miles. I rode a young horse 

 about twenty years old. He was called " the young horse " 

 because he had been bought in London the year before as a 

 nine year old horse, but they had him at Brocklesby seven 

 years before this, and he had then been bought off a Captain 

 Ayre as twelve years old ! I knew his age perfectly well, as 

 I rode him when at Brocklesby, and I shall never forget 

 him. It was in 1870, the year the Prusso- Franco War 

 broke out. I remember that I first went to the Vale of 

 White Horse Kennels, and saw old Mr. Parsons, the stud 

 groom, walking the "young horse," who had been blistered, 

 about. I ventured to remark, "You have a good looking old 

 gentleman here, governor, with real good neck and shoulders." 

 "Yes," he said, "you'll have to travel a long way before 

 you see another made like him." I said, " If he had a new 

 pair of fore-legs he'd be a thundering good looking horse." 

 He grunted out " He would." " I think I 've seen him 

 before," said I. "Never," said he; "Sir William's brother 

 bought him off Myers in London last June, as nine years 



