THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 49 



" Oh, papa, and has Mr. Somerby hunted in the Pytchley 

 country 1 Would you ask him to tell us something about 

 Dick Knight, whose picture, representing him topping 

 the park-pales on Contract, our huntsman has got in his 

 parlour ? " 



"You unreasonable rogue," said Mr. Raby ; "I wonder 

 what you will ask next ? " 



Mr." Somerby, however, having overheard the question, 

 good-naturedly replied to it : 



" Why, Francis, I am scarcely old enough to have seen 

 Dick Knight in his very best day ; but the prints which 

 you speak of give an excellent idea of the man ; and, 

 from the knowledge the amateur artist, to whose pencil 

 we are indebted for them, had of him, as a huntsman and a 

 sportsman, we must give them full credit for accuracy of 

 design and character. Has he not exhibited him display- 

 ing all the good properties which his calling, as hunts- 

 man to foxhounds, requires ? In the first place, what a 

 horseman does lie appear ! How firm and beautiful is his 

 seat in the tremendous leap he is taking, obliged as he is, 

 at the same time, to stoop forward on his horse to avoid 

 the bough of a tree ! Then, what zeal he evinces ! and 

 what coolness, while changing his horse during the run, the 

 opportunity being afforded by his fortunately passing his 

 own stable door. Instead of being in a hurry to mount, he 

 casts his eyes towards his hounds and the country, before 

 he puts his foot into the stirrup. Then, see him with his 

 hounds at fault, and observe his anxiety for their safety, 

 whilst the colt is gambolling in the midst of them ; and, 

 lastly, mark him at the finish, with the dead fox in his 

 hand. ' Who-rchoop .' icas never so carried,' cries he, on 

 dismounting from the fore-horse of the team, whose state 

 of exhaustion is so admirably depicted by the artist, that 

 we could swear that, in one more field, the nag must have 

 died, if the fox had not. In fact, I have always told un- 

 friend, Loraine Smith, for he claims the honour of having 

 been the designer, that no hunting prints have ever yet 

 appeared anything like so good as those of which we have 

 been speaking ; neither do I believe there have been 

 many better huntsmen than the celebrated Dick Knight. 



" Perhaps you will like an anecdote or two, Frank," 

 resumed Mr. Somerby, "of this noted man. His master 

 is Earl Spencer, and a fine sportsman his lordship is. On 

 his return from London, last year, at the end of the gay 



