88 Sportsmen Parsons in Peace and War 



of these small establishments, when each day has to be contrived 

 and carefully thought out, has far outshone the pleasure ex- 

 perienced by those who have only to say what horse they will 

 ride and what time the car has to be at the door. 



Mr. Slingsby used to groom his own horses, or rather help 

 to groom them, and he occasionally pressed a friend into the 

 service. There was a certain Jack Parker and his wife who 

 delighted in taking a turn ; the lady, not being tall, had to 

 stand on an upturned bucket, which enabled her to reach to 

 use her wisp of hay effectively. 



After succeeding to Scriven there was no longer any necessity 

 to contrive, and at times the horses hardly had enough work to 

 do, as was proved once when Lord William Beresford (who 

 was related to the Slingsbys) was staying with them. Being 

 an accomplished whip, he had been asked to take the ribbons 

 and drive himself and his host to keep some appointment — I 

 forget where, but it does not matter, as they never reached 

 their destination. The horses were so fresh not even Lord 

 Bill's masterly handling could restrain them. If I remember 

 rightly, he was driving tandem in a dogcart ; before long the 

 horses ran away and landed the occupants in a ditch. Happily 

 neither was much the worse. 



Captain Forester, Master of the Quorn, who has hunted 

 that pack since 1905 up to the time of writing this book, was a 

 friend of Mr. Slingsby's and always liked him to stay there each 

 season for hunting, providing him with the best of mounts. 

 For a man of a shy and retiring nature, Mr. Slingsby had a 

 number of warmly-attached friends, more especially as he 

 possessed that delightful but dangerous gift of caricaturing ; 

 the gift was, however, perfectly safe in his hands. 



He loved the Yorkshire dialect and delighted in telling stories 



in the vernacular, and told them well. There was one Yorkshire 



song he was often called upon to sing, and as it is now difficult 



to get, some north-country folk may like to be reminded of it. 



The title is : 



LEEDS CD CHURCH 



I was at home wi' my fayther and mother, I never had no fun ; 

 They kept me at it fra' morn till neet, so I tliought fra' them I'd run. 

 Leeds fair was coming on, and I thought I'd have a spree. 

 So I clapped on my Sunday coat and hat and went away merrily. 



With a bumpgey bumpscy bay, 



Ra too ra roo ra laddiday. 



