180 COVERT-SIDE SKETCHES. 



take a particularly fractious one in hand. Fire King belonged 

 to rather an earlier period than some I have named, and pulled 

 so hard that even the Squire was fain to send him home several 

 times before they could get on terms with each other ; but, when 

 once an understanding was established, there was no greater 

 favourite in the stable than the slashing, heavily-fired chestnut. 

 Carter was well mounted, but on a different class of horse, and 

 Erunette was as good as anything in his lot, as she had a right 

 to be, from the long figure that was paid for her. A good deal 

 of fun used to be made of him when mounted on Jim Crow or 

 Ptpinbow, and they certainly did look as fit for the circus as 

 the hunting-field ; nevertheless, they were good slaves, and Jim 

 Crow worked on until he had not a leg to stand on. In fact, 

 all the horses were old and infirm at last, as Mr. Smith disliked 

 parting with an old favourite." 



At length, the time came when even Mr. Assheton Smith's 

 iron frame could withstand the hand of Time no longer, and in 

 August, 1858, he breathed his last at Vaenol, his seat in Wales, 

 after a long and trying illness, which, however, only for a short 

 time confined him to his room, and thus passed away the 

 greatest and best sportsman England had ever known. His lot 

 was also cast in perhaps the period of our history most con- 

 ducive to sport, as game preserving was not then carried to the 

 extent it is now, the country was not gridironed by railways, 

 and the huge crowds which gather at any favourite fixture had 

 scarcely then commenced to flock to the covert side, while 

 hounds and horses had received all the improvement of which 

 they were capable. 



At his death the country was carried on by a committee, 

 consisting of Sir Edmund Antrobus, Mr. Eaikes, of ^ether- 

 avon, Mr. Eowle, of Chute Lodge, and others I cannot now 

 remember ; Mr. John Brewer, of Garlog, acting as secretary, and 

 George Carter for some few years continued to carry the horn, 

 but when age compelled him to resign, it was turned over 



