36 ' HOUND AND HORN ; 



know, and generally had a blind horse, but he knew 

 the horse and the horse knew him, and he got him 

 along somehow ; well, sir, his wdfe, who were a verj' 

 tidy woman, thought he had other things to do besides 

 going a fox hunting ; and I've know'd when the hounds 

 met at Chute Lodge, Osmond would ride up in his blue 

 smock, and his basket o' meat on his arm, and presently 

 you would see him come round from the kitchen door 

 without his basket and in a tidy coat, and he'd leave 

 the smock with the basket and come a-hunting ; and 

 arter 'twere over, he'd go back and pick up the basket^ 

 and put on the blue smock again, and ride home ; hut 

 he clidnt tell his wife what he'd been arter, and she, 

 poor 'ooman, knew no better, and thought he'd been 

 only round with the meat-basket. But there were 

 another clergyman, sir, that I forgot, that you knows, 

 Mr. Tom Lascelles Iremonger, who lives at Clatford ; 

 well you know, sir, he can't see nor hear, as he's deaf 

 and pretty blind, but very fond of a bit of hunting. 

 Well, sir, I remember one day when hounds were 

 running at Abbotts Ann, he comes right up against 

 me, and almost knocked me out o' the saddle, and he 

 never know'd it till afterwards, till some one says to 

 him, ' I say, Mr. IremoDger, do you know you almost 

 knocked Carter over just now?' 'No, I didn't,' says 

 ho, 'for I haven't seen him.' 'That's very likely,' says 



