98 THE OLD BERKS HUNT 



Upon one occasion, when the hounds met at 

 Wytham, Lord Kintore had arranged to send a 

 horse over to be tried by Mr. Motte, a brother- 

 in-law of Mr. Blandy, of Kingstone. Mr. Motte 

 got to Wytham, and found the hounds drawing ; 

 meeting a countryman, a local blacksmith, he 

 gave the man a shilling to find the horse and 

 bring it to him. The man found the horse in 

 charge of a groom ; he told him he was sent for 

 the horse, and as the gentleman was in a great 

 hurry he would ride him ; just then the hounds 

 found, and went away to Tubney, over a 

 stiffish line of country. The blacksmith went 

 too, and his Lordship's horse knowing his 

 business, kept up with the best of them, and 

 saw the fox killed outside Tubney Wood. 

 There the Master caught sight of his horse 

 with its rider the blacksmith, whom he rode 

 towards to find out what was up. The smith 

 bolted, and his Lordship gave chase ; the man 

 made for the wood, threw himself off the horse, 

 and disappeared. Lord Kintore caught the 

 horse, but naturally did not understand what 

 had happened, until Mr. Motte came up. Mr. 

 Motte was so delighted at the way the black- 

 smith went, that he at once bought the animal, 

 but he had to undergo a lot of chaff from the 

 Master, for tipping a smith half a crown to try 

 a horse for him. 



