HISTORY OF THE KILDARE HUNT 



was close at hand, and passing over it the whip and 

 I arrived just as Aylmer had secured the brush in 

 the headstall of his saddle. He rode up to me 

 for he durst not alight, and shaking me cordially 

 by the hand, complimented me on my pluck and 

 said jocosely " that when I had become accus- 

 tomed to canal locks he was sure they would not 

 stop me." 



The following morning Sugu made a personal 

 visit to the barracks to compliment us on our con- 

 duct in the field and from him we learned that 

 although I bore away the palm, the deserts of 

 every one of my brother officers present were duly 

 recognized. He assured me that we had won the 

 good opinion, not only of the gentlemen but of the 

 people, and that we might depend on being pro- 

 tected from harm and hospitably entertained, an 

 assurance which was afterwards fully realized dur- 

 ing our stay in the country. 



Although there was then almost always a follower 

 of Sugu's description similarly rigged out attached 

 to every Irish pack of hounds, he was unquestion- 

 ably the most witty rascal and most devoted sports- 

 man of the genus that it was my good fortune to 

 come in contact with. A story was related of him by 

 a gentleman who dined at our mess, and the inci- 

 dent, well known to be true, is calculated to give 

 an idea of the passion for sport and the risks he was 

 prepared to run for the purpose of witnessing and 

 applauding some daring stroke of horsemanship. 

 There is a celebrated water jump called the " Lock 



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