368 SPORTING STORIES 



side till they killed him with their knives. This was told 

 me by a gentleman present when the buck was killed, and 

 the thing is very true." 



Is there any English nobleman or gentleman of fifty 

 years of age in the present day who would undertake to 

 perform such a feat as that ? 



William Blundell, after he was crippled by his wound, 

 took life much more seriously than he did in his earlier 

 days. He settled down into a sober, decorous country 

 o-entleman ; but his love of sport remained, and he evidently 

 did not consider an interest in horse-racing inconsistent 

 with the character of a respectable member of society. 



There was an excellent race-course at Little Crosby, 

 which William Blundell himself had laid out, and the 

 principal county meetings were held there. There are 

 frequent references in the " Notebook " to this race-course, 

 which was 403 rods 4 yards in length, or, in other words, 

 I mile 460 yards. Twice round the course was the 

 shortest distance for any race, four times round for the 

 big races. 



The following " Articles for Races at Crosby, to be run 

 on first Monday in August 1682, and yearly afterwards," 

 were drawn up by W.B. at the request of the Hon. W. 

 Molyneux. After providing that a piece or pieces of silver 

 plate be the prize for the winner, come the following rules 

 which I select from the rest as most noteworthy : — 



" 2. Horse to be brought to the ground ten days before 

 the race, aired and trained there, housed and fed within 

 a mile of the course. Name of horse and person who 

 intends to put him in to be given, two days before the 

 horse comes to the ground, to a qualified person or 

 subscriber of 20s. 



3. Every person bringing a horse to deposit 40s. 

 as a stake eight days before the race, which stake or 

 stakes either to be given to the second horse or held for 

 another race next year, as the subscribers may judge. 

 40s. subscribers to the plate exempted. No subscribers to 

 bring more than one horse. 



4. Horses to be drawn out on the race day at 2 p.m., 

 and weigh with rider and accoutrements 10 st. 



