38 THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 



under 15.2, he had taken three or four prizes in open jumping 

 competitions, and had a county-wide repute as a cross-country 

 performer. The Duke owed four hundred and fifty for him. 



Five minutes more law having been allowed for the late 

 comers, the noble Master draws his watch from his pocket, 

 glances swiftly at it, and then by a quiet nod to the Huntsman, 

 gives the signal to move off. Away goes the whole cavalcade, 

 the second Whip leading the way with a dropped thong in front 

 of the most impetuous of the pack ; then the main body of the 

 hounds, surrounding the Huntsman's horse on all sides. The 

 first Whip, Tom Tribe, with two of the hunt-servants as second 

 horsemen, follow ; then comes the Duke, chatting with his 

 nephew, the Reverend Geoffry Yarboro, on his left hand, 

 whilst Lady Lucy Silverton, one of the acknowledged London 

 beauties of the past season, rides on his right. The rest of 

 the field followed in close order, in straggling order, and in 

 no order at all ; the extreme rear guard consisting of Nobbs, 

 the colt-breaker, on a rough-coated, nondescript thing with a 

 pony head, immense quarters and no shoulder at all — he was 

 riding it with a big smooth ring snaffle, martingale (which alone 

 prevented the brute knocking his rider's brains out when he 

 threw up his head), no spurs, and a small ground ash stick; 

 Hacker, the sporting butcher, on one that had been given a 

 holiday from the cart for the purpose ; and a round dozen 

 of second horsemen and pad grooms. At that ever-to-be- 

 execrated pace, a 'hound's jog,' away they all went, bobbing 

 up and down, black and red mixed up in sweet confusion, 

 until a general throwing up of hands and hunting-crops, and 

 a chorus of ' hold hards ' proclaimed the fact that they had 

 arrived in the vicinity of the first covert they were to draw. 



