THE TYNEDALE COUNTRY. 155 



house first, for of tliisi place I have very lively recollections. 

 The Bay Horse is the hostelry iu quesition, and in the year 

 1873 the late Mr. Percy Taylor was in want of a house in the 

 centre of the Tynedale Hunt, and, being unablei to find one, 

 bought the Bay Horse — which happened to be in the market— 

 ins.tailled himsielf in the first floor, and brought half a dozen 

 good-looking young horses to the stables. He hunted the three 

 days each week, and on off days drove a high dogcart — the 

 vogue in those days — to Newcastle to get his hair cut and so 

 forth. Now Percy Taylor was a friend and an old school- 

 fellow of mine, and he quickly asked me to come and inspect 

 his new quarters, and offered to mount me on the Friday of 

 a certain week and again on the Monday. About the Friday's 

 hunting I have no recollection, except that Percy came home 

 with a, brush in his pocket, that two or three friends arrived 

 for dinner, and that later in the evening a regular levee of 

 village folk was held, Percy, in evening scarleti and using the 

 brush as a chairman's mallet, presiding over a curious assem- 

 blage, which included thei village policeman, the man who 

 drove the 'bus to Newcastle, the local saddler, and others. All 

 went well until closing time, when a deputation of Stamford- 

 ham wives appeared at the head of the stairs, each one claim- 

 ing her husband and marching him off. Afticr breakfast on the 

 following morning there was an adjournment to the paddock 

 behind the stable, and all the horses, except those which had 

 been hunted on the previous day, were brought out, saddled, 

 and bridled. Then began all sorts of schooling performances, 

 which the horses did not really want, and at length the party 

 got betting as to whether they could retain a half-crown piece 

 between either knee and the saddle whilst riding over a flight 

 of hurdles. There was a good deal of fun over this, and I 

 have a recollection of winning many half-crowns, and losing 

 them again by tirying to keiep three or four in place at the 

 same time. The horses worked as if it was their regular busi- 

 ness, but there was one youngster (we were all mere boys) who 

 dropped his coins every time and was in despair, until Martiin, 

 the stud groom, appeared with two large flat tea cakes, and 

 told him to try them instead of a coin. The youngster got up 

 in great glee, having jammed a teacake under each knee; but 

 this time he could not keep his seat, let alone thei teacakes. 



