36 SPOXTS AND ANECDOTES. 



go his rounds, preceded by his coachman or one of 

 his grooms carrying the horn stable lantern. 



Some of my readers will, I fear, think that he 

 was a little eccentric. So he was, but he was a 

 real good fellow ; could tell a good story, and drink 

 his, shall I say, bottle of wine with comfort. More 

 made him dangerous and contrary-wise thinking. 



He liked the best of everything, and had what 

 they call been " sworn in at Highgate." He liked 

 venison better than mutton, cream in his tea better 

 than milk, a good day's shooting better than a 

 moderate one ; and if there was a lord or a bit of 

 royalty in the matter, he would throw his best 

 friend over sooner than not be in attendance on 

 such an auspicious occasion. In fact, as his medical 

 man had told him that he ought to get the best 

 of everything for the sake of his health, so at all 

 times did he. 



Having made this little digression in favour of 

 our friend the hunting parson, whose impetuosity 

 has been in some measure subdued by the mild 

 rebuke of the colonel, we will return to Slack and 

 his hounds who are now fairly out of the covert. 

 A couple of staves from his trumpet announce that 

 they are gone away. This they have done, with 



