28 WITH HOUND AND TERRIER. 



fun of all, however, was when my brother was 

 at home and he and I went for a gallop with 

 the Queen's Staghounds. Those were days that 

 rest in the memory, for the pure joy of living 

 was ours, and we revelled in our youth and high 

 spirits. My brother was a very hard rider, and 

 used to jump everything that came in his way. 

 Once he cleared the deer -fence into the little 

 deer-park at Windsor, his horse making the wire 

 ring with one hind hoof as he went over. My 

 sister Geraldine, too, was fond of hunting, and 

 went well and straight on a beautiful little bay 

 mare of hers, known as The Queen. The three 

 of us were a merry party, and if there was not 

 always "lepping" enough to please us, we gener- 

 ally contrived to make more by going out of our 

 way to find something to lark over. 



It is to my brother Campbell that I owe what- 

 ever skill in riding I possess, for as children we 

 were never so happy as when we were trying 

 tricks with our horses. Together we essayed most 

 of the circus performances we had seen, though as 

 our elders did not approve, and the grooms 

 thought it their duty to report our exploits, we 

 had to exercise great care to prevent our pleasures 

 being put a stop to. I fear we shall put ourselves 

 outside the pale of all "good children" when I 

 confess that Sunday morning, when the stable- 

 yard was deserted and our betters were engaged 

 in their devotions, was a chosen time for our 

 performances. How we managed to escape from 



