THE GOLDEN AGE 



Amersham, and Will spent many weary hours outside the 

 House of Commons while the great debates on the Reform 

 Bill of 1832 were going on. But his heart was always in the 

 kennel rather than the stable, though he did some good work 

 as second horseman, a training which has often been of the 

 greatest value to future huntsmen, giving them an eye to 

 country, and teaching them to take care of a horse. 



Will's career was nearly brought to an end at Shardeloes ; 

 Florence, a mare of much note afterwards, getting him down 

 and dragging him across the stable-yard while he was school- 

 ing her. However, this early stable experience no doubt 

 helped to make Will the horseman he afterwards became ; for, 

 although I have written of him above as second to Tom Firr 

 in the saddle, yet that is to place him very high indeed in the 

 ranks of the gallant band of horsemen who have crossed 

 Leicestershire and Lincolnshire in the past. 



When Will was still but a lad he was promoted to be 

 second whipper-in under Tom Wingfield, the celebrated one- 

 eyed huntsman, who had himself begun life with Mr, Meynell 

 at ten years old, and who in later years was kennel huntsman 

 to Mr. Assheton Smith, when that great rider was master of 

 the Quorn. Tom had a liking for moderate-sized hounds, 

 which he probably communicated to his young second 

 whipper-in, who was noted for his bold riding, his high spirits, 

 and his sense of humour. But the lad must have learned 

 much in Mr. Drake's kennels, and, among other things, the 

 mischief wrought to sport by a mute pack ; for Lady, the 

 favourite of Sir Thomas Mostyn, the former owner of the 

 pack, to which she gave the shape and style her portrait tells 

 us she possessed, transmitted her muteness also to her de- 

 scendants. Her blood came into the Belvoir kennel through 

 the famous Lexicon, but the muteness was not allowed to 

 descend, since both Tom Goosey and Will Goodall turned 

 at once on any sign of this great failing to Brocklesby or 

 Badminton to correct it. Goodall's first great model in 

 the hunting world was Jem Hills, who was at the Hey- 

 throp at the same time as young Will was with the 

 Bicester. We are told that the latter wished to be under 



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