EARLY HUNTING EXPERIENCES. 25 



in great distress, and suspecting what was the 

 matter I turned back. I found the hound caught 

 by the foreleg in an iron gin which was securely 

 pegged down, and three strangers were doing 

 their best to get hold of him. The hound, how- 

 ever, was nearly frantic from pain, and was 

 flying furiously at them, so I jumped down, 

 and thrusting my crop well into his mouth, I 

 put my foot on the trap and he was out in a 

 minute. Happily, he was not much the worse 

 for his adventure. 



The Vale was noted for its hard riders in Mr 

 Drax's time, and one of those whom it was said 

 nothing short of a haystack would stop was Mr 

 Tatchell BuUen, who was " such a bruiser across 

 country" that his friends suggested he should 

 neither wear spurs nor carry a whip. Parson 

 Place and the Rev. C. Newbolt of punning fame 

 were also among the hardest, and few could beat 

 the first Baron Portman when he was on his 

 favourite chestnut Three-to-One. Mr Hall was 

 also a fine horseman and a fearless and straight 

 rider. 



Mr Drax had a great eye for colour in his own 

 and his servants' dress in the field. The latter 

 were attired in canary-coloured plush coats, with 

 blue collars bound with gold lace, and a gold fox 

 with a silver brush on each side of the collar. 

 For the rest they had red waistcoats, white 

 breeches, white tops, black velvet caps, and 

 white gloves. The members of the hunt sported 



