198 THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



Lord Lonsdale's are capital hunters, and, I believe, seldom 

 lose a fox, unless by accident, when the scent serves. 

 The country I met them in looked very much like fox- 

 hunting. The fixture was Tilton Wood. Yesterday, I 

 met the Quorn again ; it was the pack hunted by Stephen 

 Gfoodall, a most intelligent-looking fellow, but a cruel 

 weight for a horse. He is said to be very clever, and if 

 up with his hounds in time, generally puts them right, 

 when at fault. We had a capital run, and I am happy 

 to say I was capitally carried by Bowman. I suppose I 

 could put him into my pocket at a large sum, if I was so 

 disposed, as Pritchard tells me no less than three of his 

 brothers of the stable have asked him whether he was for 

 sale ? There was some desperate riding yesterday ; and I 

 understand the part of the Stanton Brook which Forester 

 leaped on a horse called Bernado, measured thirty-two 

 feet a great leap for a horse, with better than fourteen 

 stone on his back. 



" Now, then, adieu till we meet. If you chance to see 

 the fillies, let me have your opinion of their condition, 

 &c. ; and, should you hear of a good well-bred hunter for 

 sale, think of me. I will go as far as 300 guineas, 

 Dear Dauntley, ever yours, 



" FRANCIS RABY. 



"The LORD DAUXTLEY, &c. &c. 



" P.S. I had nearly forgotten to tell you, that I was 

 much pleased with the appearance of the celebrated Mr. 

 Brummell in the field. He is not a sportsman, I believe, 

 nor much of a rider ; but he is one of the neatest and best 

 dressed men I ever saw. His horses, also, are complete 

 both in shape and condition, and everything about him 

 the tout ensemble, I think they call it on the other side of 

 the Channel may be said to be complete." 



The ides of March were not more dreaded by the great 

 Caesar himself, than they are by a fox-hunter in the 

 ploughed countries, as half a dozen " fine March days," as 

 the farmers say of them, put a stop to anything like sport 

 with hounds. This being the case in that district in 

 which Sir John Inkleton hunted, he most liberally made 

 an offer of his four capital hunters to his young friend, 

 Frank Raby, and they arrived at Melton in tip-top con- 

 dition, just one month previous to the conclusion of the 



