CHAP. III.] Dick Christian. 107 



scIlooI master to the young horses of the Meltonians, and 

 also to ride steeple-chases. Talkative and fond of 

 dilating, the '' Druid '^ has filled half a volume with 

 entertaining anecdotes of the exploits of himself and 

 others of the same persuasion. One of Dick's earliest feats 

 seems to have been to jump a flock of sheep. He thus 

 describes it in his own words : ^^ I once jumped a whole 

 flock of sheep near Gadesby in Mr. Osbaldeston's time. 

 I think we'd found at the Coplow. They had scuttled 

 into a corner. Hounds were running like mad. I sends 

 my horse at the rails and clears the sheep every one of 'em. 

 My horse he hits the top of the rail and goes clear baug 

 on his head. The shepherd he shouts, ' Now hang you, 

 that just sarves you right.'' I says, ' So it does, old 

 fellow,' and I gathers myself up and kills our fox at 

 Eagdale. Deary me ! horses has rolled on me times and 

 often ; squeezed me, bones broke, and all that sort of 

 thing. I was with Mat Milton for some time; got 

 five guineas a week, and lived as he did — meat and 

 drink best as was. He sold ninety-six horses to the 

 gentlemen the season I was with him. Poor little Matty ! 

 I killed him. Old Matty would make him follow me. I 

 well nigh drownded him two or three times. My reglar 

 orders were ^ to go and ketchem,' and the little chap 

 (he was such a nice little boy !), only fourteen, was never 

 to leave me. At those very owdacious places, poor little 

 feller, he used to holler out, ^ Dick, where are yer ? ' 

 He couldn't spy me for them bullfinches, and didn't 

 know if I were up or down. When I see those sort, I 

 says, ^ Matty, here's a rum un afore us, ketch hold, and 

 don't fear nothing.' " 



Poor little Matty ! his experience of the " ups and 

 downs " of life did not last long, and consumption all too 



