THE BLACKMORE VALE. 101 



brother, Captain Stanley Orred, the late Mr 

 Charles Chichester, Mr Robertson, Major and Mrs 

 M'Adam, Colonel Mount Batten, Mr Cavendish 

 Bentinck and his sons from Branksea Island, the 

 Rev. F. Tyrwhitt-Drake, Major Forbes, Mr Rogers 

 of Yarlington, Mr Giles Hussey, and the late Mr 

 Wills Sandford from Compton Castle. Mr (now 

 Sir) Godfrey Lagden used to hunt from Stock 

 Rectory when he was home from Africa ; and the 

 late Mr Connop, though a heavy-weight, con- 

 scientiously jumped every fence on his big black 

 horse. Another heavy-weight who was always 

 there was Mr George Allen, whose brown mare 

 Stella was worthy of her master's prowess. 



I remember a curious accident that happened 

 to a black horse which belonged to General Waller 

 when he was hunting in the Vale. The horse had 

 been lame from a kick on the shoulder, and almost 

 the first time he came out after the accident he 

 caught his toe in a tuft of grass while he was 

 cantering over a field and broke his foreleg. As 

 examination showed a distinct oscillation in the 

 shoulder-bone above the elbow, it was decided to 

 shoot him. While a gun was being brought the 

 poor thing lay down several times and rolled, but 

 managed to get to his feet again. After he had 

 been put out of his pain, it was discovered that 

 the place of the old kick had starred and broken 

 the bone almost across, so that the little catch at 

 the toe had completed the fracture. 



