Captain H. Smitb 251 



Esme was still on the horse's head, " Keep your 

 seats for the North," much to the amusement of 

 everyone round, but not equally so to his lord- 

 ship. 



Another very fine horseman and real good man 

 to hounds was Captain A. Smith, or, as he was 

 nicknamed, and many would know him better as, 

 " Doggy." He always stayed, in fact lived, with 

 the Behrens, and rode their horses hunting as 

 well as chasing. He was very seldom short of a 

 mount, as people were only too glad to get him to 

 ride their animals, especially if they were going 

 away for a fortnight or so. Captain Smith must 

 have been a real good man, as no one rode more 

 strange horses, and no one went straighter over a 

 country. I saw him in Leicestershire last season, 

 and he seemed as fond of the sport as ever. Over 

 a steeplechase course he was a very good rider 

 indeed, and it didn't matter to him whether it was 

 flying " oxers " in the shires, or doubling the banks 

 at Punchestown, it all came the same. The Grand 

 National Steeplechase, however, never fell to his 

 share, but amongst other riding successes he won the 

 National Hunt Steeplechase at Melton Mowbray 

 on 'Game Chicken' in 1864, on 'Daybreak' at 

 Burton in 1871, on ' Lucellum ' at Aylesbury in 



