28 SPORTING REMINISCENCES 



practically kept him going. I think the wildest 

 rides I have ever had have been with three of 

 them in pursuit of Thady's " dears.'* One led us 

 once over all the coped walls round the Model 

 School. When exhaustion finished poor Gay Boy, 

 there would be a wail of " Save her for me. Save 

 the dear." Save her coming from behind, and one 

 could not stop. 



Nearly all killed in this war now, those boys 

 who rode with Thady. 



But in the beginning of a hunt when Gay Boy 

 was fresh, Thady was jealous as a girl. If he fell 

 we were sure to hear a shout of " Give the dogs a 

 chance, gentlemen. Give them a chance," — then 

 as Thady plunged back to the saddle — " Ride on 

 now ye divils and catch thim if ye can." 



Mr. Chichester had an absolutely wonderful 

 horse called the Stag. It could jump wire, go in 

 and out of quarries, had no fore legs, but drops 

 into roads were as nothing to it ; and I had a wild 

 and undefeated four year old, Thin Legs, not my 

 own, belonging to Mr. White, with a bad temper 

 and a big heart. 



Thady gave it up when as he put in the Limerick 

 Chronicle he lost " Two dears in one day, both 

 drounded." But as he would enlarge near 

 Limerick when we ran over a country which was 

 almost unrideable with the big semi-tidal trains 

 running up from the Shannon, he had himself to 

 blame. The unfortunate quarry came to the meet 



