166 " MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE ! " 



of the question in these days, and was doubtless illegal 

 then, but at that time no one took any notice. I seem 

 to have got pretty sick of Drum Major, for there is the 

 following in a letter to my sister : 



You had better have a ticket for Drum Major, i ; five for 

 2, los. or ten for 5, and I will give you half the profits for him 

 back again if you get him. 



My sister does not seem to have been tempted by this 

 proposal, and though 20 worth of tickets were taken at 

 Orpwood's, I declared the lottery off, as it did not fill. 

 On 26th November 1871, I wrote : 



We were out hunting yesterday, but scent was bad and not 

 much was done, though there were plenty of foxes. At the same 

 time we had a good hunting run though very slow. The ground 

 was very heavy and made old Drum Major pipe to some tune. 



I'm afraid I sha'n't be able to get through him here. He 

 kicked Angram rather badly the other day, for what reason I 

 don't know. We were riding quietly along the road when he 

 suddenly gave a great grunt and a jump and lashed out most 

 savagely at Angram. The Balliol athletics come off this week. 

 I am in for the half-mile handicap. 



Angram was my initial experience in selling a horse, 

 and it was a satisfactory one, as will presently be shown. 



That hunting term in the autumn and winter of 1871 

 passed very happily, for with all his infirmities Drum Major 

 was a rare good mount, except that he would not jump 

 water. We had days with the old Berkshire, of which 

 Mr Tom Duineld, with amazing flow of language, was 

 master. Mr Hall and the Heythrop also attracted us ; 

 and, of course, Lord Macclesfield and the South Oxford- 

 shire. He was a grand old sportsman, as everyone who 

 remembers him will agree. Hunting with him I first saw 

 Mr A. Dendy, one of the University College dons, going in 

 first-rate style, insomuch that I inquired who he was, 

 and felt ever afterwards that here was a man whose 

 lectures would be woith attending, and my fortune was 

 to attend them some two years later. 



