448 Saddle and Sirloin. 



" Shrops " and Herefords as he was of fox-hunting. 

 The Hereford bull Chieftain was his property for three 

 seasons before that celebrated steer getter went to 

 Mr. Monkhouse. " Robert " generally contrived to 

 unite business and pleasure, and he made his bargain 

 for the bull just after he had broken up a fox. He 

 might be said to hold the United country in fee simple, 

 and never did man work harder to maintain his posses- 

 sions. On Tuesday he would be at Stanner Rocks, near 

 Kington, and on Friday he would trot up to the meet 

 fifty miles away at Panty Fryd, Montgomeryshire, all 

 fresh and ready on the Tuesday's horse. Once upon 

 a time another pack was set on foot near Kington, 

 and a claim was made to part of the country, but 

 nearly all the landlords stuck to Robert and his 

 "divine right of kings," although the usurpers did 

 cause him a few blank days in his best covers. He 

 dated his introduction to fox-hunting from the days 

 when he joined in without a saddle, and " wrapped my 

 long legs under the horses belly'' Then he became 

 acquainted with Mr. Beddows's father, and entered so 

 well that he at length hunted the hounds for him. The 

 hares had to stand the brunt up to Christmas, and he 

 often boasted that on the last day he hunted hare, some 

 twenty seasons before his death, he came home with 

 his seven brace. 



The hounds were partly the property of Mr. Bed- 

 dows, and were strengthened by the purchase of Mr. 

 Gittas's, a step which brought Luther into the Rad- 

 norshire country. He always hunted twice a week, 

 and was generally at it from the latter end of Sep- 

 tember till the first of April, and left off happy with 

 five-and-twenty brace of " noses." He liked to breed 

 from the " old Welsh blood " of Jones of Cwmbreath, 

 and would let no one have a dip into it. The dog 

 hounds were not very large, but those who stood on 

 the hills and heard them come up the valley like a 

 peal of Lancashire bellringers, cared for no other 



