BATTERSBY AND THE BEDALE 199 



Such a story loses greatly in the telling, and must 

 necessarily depend much on the imagination of the reader. 

 Let anyone, however, endeavour to put himself in my 

 position that day and he will realise, according to his 

 capacities, what a " merry conceit " the whole affair was, 

 not that the sport was by any means over yet : for the 

 Bedale men remained, and to them the circular was 

 dispatched the day before a meet at Skipton Bridge. 



Of course I went, riding Longbow this time, but my 

 expectation of hearing much talk about Battersby was 

 disappointed, and therein the difference between the 

 gentlemen of the Bedale and those of the York and Ainsty 

 was very notable. 



Exceedingly cautious were they of the Bedale in those 

 days, whatever they may be now : indeed, when it came 

 to a really good thing, John Booth, the Master, could show 

 them all a clean pair of heels, despite the fact of his riding 

 eighteen stone. But then his heart was in the right place : 

 he knew every inch of the country, and his horses, besides 

 being grand animals, were preternaturally clever, for which, 

 of course, the credit was due to him who " made " them. 

 In short, the Master was in strong contrast to the members 

 of his Hunt, with a few honouiable exceptions. 



Now these gentlemen, having received their circulars, 

 had taken them to heart. Each one was inwardly con- 

 scious of his own inferior horsemanship, and therefore 

 thought that he, and he specially, had been singled out by 

 the observant eye of Battersby. In these circumstances, 

 no man communicated to his fellow what had happened. 

 Each brooded darkly over his own circular and kept it 

 concealed from mortal ken, deeply pondering where, when 

 and how Battersby had spotted him, or whether it was 

 simply common fame that had reported him to that 

 accomplished person as being one likely to stand in need 

 of his services. Moreover, there was not much time for 

 discussion, for Baldersby Whin was always a sure find, 

 and this occasion proved no exception. 



Within a few minutes, hounds were away after a good 



