204 HISTORY OF THE BRAMHAM MOOR HUNT. 



' if it so happened that he finished in an out-of-the-way 

 'place, and could not get home that night? 'Now-a-days,' 

 he added, ' it is usual, as soon as a boy is born, to provide 

 ' him with a second horse, and a portmanteau of sandwiches, 

 'and a sherry cask.' 



Mr. Fox was never at any time what is known as a 

 ' bruiser,' and he had not much sympathy with those whom 

 he used to call the 'thrusting scoundrels,' who ride regardless 

 of spoiling sport ; but he liked to see a man ride well up 

 to hounds, and he himself was a fine horseman. His weight 

 of course handicapped him a little, but he rode good horses, 

 had a remarkable eye to hounds, and though he did not go 

 out of his way to seek them, if big places came in his way 

 he did not 'gallop round.' He had beautiful hands, and 

 liked a horse with a bit of temper about him, recognising, 

 doubtless, that high-spirited horses carried him best through 

 a run. But no matter how unruly a horse might be, he 

 never 'did anything' with Mr. Fo.x on his back, — the secret, 

 of course, beinsr the beautiful liajht hands for which he was 

 famous. During the London season he frequently visited 

 the late Newcome Mason's establishment, and he dearly 

 loved to have a gallop on one of the pullers, if there was 

 one of that sort in the stable. It is needless to say that in 

 Mr. Fox's hands he was as steady as could be wished. 



An instance of Mr. Fox's consummate judgment as a 

 horseman is given on a preceding page, where it is related 

 how he got through that good run from Marston to Stockton 

 on the Courtier. His cousin, who was a light weight and 

 a good horseman and well mounted, killed his horse, whilst 

 the Courtier was able to come out again in his turn. 



It has been said that the hands of a horseman are born 

 with him, and that, like • poets, they cannot be made, and 

 there is a great deal of truth in the saying ; but in all 

 probability the fine hands for which Mr, Fox was distin- 



