IS 45.] OF HAMPSHIRE. 169 



quickness in reply. A well-mounted man had 

 one day been pressing so closely on his hounds 

 that nothing but a Job could stand it any 

 longer, and Mr. Nicoll bestowed upon him a 

 few hearty damns. The offender rode up to 

 him, and said, ' Upon my word, Mr. Nicoll, I 

 don't understand this, sir. I did not come out 

 to be damned.' ' Then go home and be damned,' 

 replied Mr. Nicoll.* 



" It being the Easter holidays, I had the 

 pleasure of seeing one part of Mr. Nicoll's 

 establishment which I should otherwise have 

 missed, and that was his two sons in the field. 

 The eldest (my friend Sam, about Sam Nicoii, 

 twelve years of age) will rate and ■ jun * 

 turn a hound with any man in England ; and 

 as for the youngest (only seven years old), in 

 his scarlet coat and hunting-whip, he and his 

 pony are allowed to be quite unique. This is 

 training up a child in the way he should go, 

 and it will take a good horseman to go better 

 than my friend Sam Nicoll, jun., over the 

 Forest. 



£ ' The New Forest is a very awkward The n. f. 

 country to get across, and one in countr ^ 

 which, in my opinion, there is no great enjoy- 



* This was addressed to one Alison, a Southampton barber, who 

 used to hunt on an old grey horse. — Author. 



