Mr. Atkinson, Peepy. 129 



tried to cross, but it carried him (so the villagers vow), 

 by the force of its current, right across the German 

 Ocean, and cast him up, with his horn still slung over 

 his shoulder, on the beach at Ostend. A short cut 

 over the Park in which Matchem and The Duchess 

 took their breathings, and won upwards of twenty 

 thousand, both at the post and in the paddock, when 

 Fenwick was Lord of Bywell leads to Mr. Atkinson's 

 farm, more commonly known as " Peepy." It belongs 

 to Mr. Beaumont, the member for the southern divi- 

 sion of the county, who lives at Bywell Hall, and it 

 includes the Park in its seven hundred acres. Three- 

 sevenths of it are in grass, and the Park, which, judg- 

 ing from the limits of the old course, was hardly thirty 

 acres in Matchem's day, has now swelled to a hundred. 



The brothers Atkinson are by no means the pio- 

 neers of Shorthorns in this particular spot. Styford 

 High and Low Woods recall to a Herd Book ear the 

 memory of " Jobling's old sort." A narrow strip be- 

 tween them shows the early haunt of Wellington (who 

 was let for fifteen years at ioo/. per year), and the firs 

 rang at times with his bellowing, much less musically 

 than they do now when The Tyndale are finding. 

 Those were days when Tithe Commutation was un- 

 dreamt of, and hence Wellington calves came in due 

 course to Mr. Johnson the clergyman of the parish, 

 and one found its way to Mr. Atkinsons at the old 

 man's sale. 



Mr. Atkinson senior knew Mr. Bates, but the prophet 

 had no honour in his own country, and although he 

 went over to see him, he did not care to buy. Arch- 

 duke Charles was Mr. Atkinson's first bull. After 

 him came Sir Harry, from Mr. Thomas Jobling, who 

 bred direct from Mr. Colling's sort ; and then his son 

 Bangup, who was never in the Herd Book, and had 

 fall after fall of red calves. Sir Harry was duly en- 

 tered for the Ovingham prize of 20 guineas, which he 

 won, and Mr. Jobling was so jealous of his looking 



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