164 " MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE ! " 



he was anything but a promising lady's horse, but he 

 made an uncommonly good show against Drum Major 

 on Hambleton all the same, despite our training of the 

 latter, and all our hopes were disappointed at Myton when 

 Drum Major was badly beaten in each of three heats by 

 little rats of animals off Hambleton. This dissipated the 

 dream of a Cesarewitch, and though he had pulled up lame 

 after each heat, his old joints were, no doubt, pretty 

 callous, and I decided to hunt him, for he was a rare 

 jumper. 



It happened that Lindsay Smith had asked me to look 

 out for a horse likely to suit him for College grinds, and 

 Angram seemed a right sort, though not such as my 

 sister wanted. I therefore wrote to tell him I would 

 bring Angram for him along with my own (Drum Major), 

 the next term, 100 being the price, and I arrived at 

 Oxford with the two precious animals, which were con- 

 signed to the Randolph stables and met at Oxford station 

 by John, the head man of " Master Charles " Symonds. 



Smith was a good horseman, and it did not take him 

 long to get on terms with Angram, who was anything but 

 a made hunter at that time, but very free and willing to 

 do his best. No more hack-hunters now, for we rejoiced 

 in our own, and in one letter of this term, which must have 

 been written in October, there is the following : 



I have had a long day's hunting to-day (with the Bicester). 

 We had to take our horses on by train, and we had a very fast run 

 over quite the worst country I ever was in. I saw no less than 

 twenty people fall. 



At the first fence, which was far from an easy one, someone 

 cut in, in front of me, and I was obliged to stop and jump it at 

 a stand. The horse fell on his head at the other side, but got up 

 with me very well. Angram also nearly fell, and Smith got a 

 thorn run into his eye. Thence we proceeded at topmost speed, 

 encountering all sorts of outlandish fences doubles, etc. After 

 going about twenty minutes well with the hounds, I thought I 

 could make still better out by jumping a certain fence, while the 

 others were going round by a gate. But, to my disgust, Drum 

 Major, deprived of his companions, refused most resolutely, and 



