RECOLLECTIONS OF GEORGE CARTER. 85 



had a deal o' money, and he spent it at home ; and he 

 was very good, and I fear he will be missed mighty 

 much." 



But Carter's especial favourite was the Duke of 

 Grafton, and he always spoke of his Grace with the 

 greatest reverence, and his heart was in Whittlebury 

 Forest. " Oh, dear, dear me ! how I should like you to 

 see Whittlebury Forest 1 There, 'tis a beautiful place ; for 

 you see, sir, the kennels were in the Forest, and I lived 

 there, and you could take the young hounds out for 

 exercise close home, and there were no stray cur dogs 

 about as may have the mange or anything else, and no 

 strangers nor idle people — burn 'em — and 'twere all nice 

 and quiet, and the deer used to come up and feed quite 

 handy, and the hounds soon got used to them, and 

 never took no notice ; and there, I could sit out at my 

 door of an evening in the summer and hear the foxes 

 bark, and the owls hoot, and the deer blant ; and some- 

 times of a night, when 'twere all still as still, I could 

 hear a hound just throw his tongue in his sleep, 

 a-dreaming, I suppose, sir, as he were a- hunting 

 a fox. Oh, it were beautiful ! Oh, Whittlebury 

 Forest were a nice place, and I should like you to 

 see it." 



It was in October, 1880, that George Carter seemed 

 to break very suddenly, and he fancied his end was 



