First Whipper-in. 175 



takes ; he was also a very good swimmer or waterman, as 

 unfortunately in trying to get round or over the beck at 

 Bottle Hill Mill he fell into the mill dam, which gave him 

 every chance to show his swimming abilities, which he did 

 to perfection. I helped him out when he got to the 

 bank, but he swam like a duck in deep water ; it would be 

 six or seven feet deep, and ropes had to be procured to 

 get his horse out. 



1 remember his favourite horse — old " Paddy," a dark 

 chestnut horse that saw him through several good runs ; 

 he was one of the hardest horses I ever saw, but subject 

 to terrible stringhalt ; every now and then his " off hind " 

 would go up like a pump handle. I believe he hunted until 

 he was twenty-two years old, and died when he was thirty- 

 two years of age. Major Ropner had another good black 

 horse with a white face called, I believe, " Baldersby." 



Speaking of old " Paddy," 1 believe that he was bought 

 by the Major from Mr. John Appleby (a keen hunting man 

 at South Wingate, and brother of Mr. Thomas). They told 

 me at the time that his favourite food was newly washed 

 clothes, and that he was happiest when chewing the con- 

 tents of the clothes line ! 



One of the cheeriest sportsmen it has fallen to my lot 

 to see was certainly Colonel Sadler, who generally came 

 to the meets in the Friday country, and no one enjoyed a 

 good day's sport better ; nothing seemed to disturb his 

 genial temper, and I never saw him the least " put out ;" 

 I suppose it 's a grand thing to have such a command or 

 control of temper, and probably that is the reason why the 

 Colonel has taken such a high position in the House of 

 Commons ; I don't know much about politics, but I always 

 notice that those who have served a good apprenticeship 



