CAPTAIN SHABBYHOUNDE 265 



his acquaintance, as the late Mr. Hood would have 

 said, nothing would serve him but he would put 

 Milksop on Lambkin. If the generality of the 

 Captain's horses had only been as good on their legs 

 as they were in their wind, they would have been 

 invaluable, and Lambkin, for a wonder, was perfect 

 in both. He had gone the run stoutly and well, was 

 still as gay as a lark, and with Milksop's lighter weight 

 upon him, bounded off like an arrow from the bow. 

 Lambkin never thought of trying to kick Milksop off 

 — that was only a home exploit ; on the contrary, he 

 scuttled away, and very soon was well with the hounds 

 again. 



Naseby Field used to be rather deep in those days 

 — it may be so still, for aught we know — and after a 

 fair trial, over sound springy pastures, Milksop found 

 Lambkin had the knack of getting his hind legs well 

 under him, and of going through deep also. What 

 a luxury that is ! How delightful to feel the hind 

 quarters throwing the fore ones on, treading the water, 

 as it were, instead of the floundering deeper and 

 deeper still, lob, lob, lobbing, grunting, groaning, 

 sobbing, sighing, hammer-and-pincering of the mere 

 turf strider. 



Give us the horse that can go in deep as well as 

 on grass, the nag that can creep as well as fly, and we 

 will throw extreme pace to " Bunbury," ^ to divide 

 among the Jockey Club. 



ForrardI forrard I that inspiriting cheer to the 

 fresh — that tantalizing mockery to the beat — -forrard I 

 forrard! was still the cry, and Lambkin responded to 

 it vigorously. 



The Honourable Julius Milksop being in 



"The morning of life," 

 as the elegant Dr. Goss sublimely sings, when 



"Middling horse-flesh takes the reason prisoner," 



^ The great turf writer of the present day. 



