Mr, Stwling Crawfurd, 307 



it, the gifts of ^^ Mater Terra " were poured bounteously 

 into tlie lap of her favoured son. As the blade of grass 

 by evolutionary action becomes alternately developed into 

 the priceless ^' shorthorn/' so the insignificant-looking 

 mineral by the process of exchange becomes converted 

 into a " Thebais " or a " Sefton." 



It may be safe to affirm that during a life extending to 

 the confines of the conventional " threescore years and 

 ten/' no man ever owned so many good hunters and high- 

 class race-horses. Though a heavy weight, members both 

 of Quorn and Pytchley Hunts can testify that it took a 

 good man and a good horse to cut down Mr. Crawfurd. 

 During his tenancy of Langton Hall, near Market Har- 

 borough, he, with his brother-in-law^ Mr. Harry Everard, 

 seldom failed to meet the " P.H." at least twice a week. 

 The very best of everything being ^^just good enough," 

 it was a treat for a lover of horses merely to look over 

 the two powerful, well-bred animals appointed to carry 

 for that day the keen and joyous-looking sportsman from 

 the other side of the banks of the Welland. Among a 

 multitude of " first-raters,'^ it is hard to select any one 

 for special notice, but the beautiful form and grand per- 

 formance of the kicking " Safety- Valve " must still fill 

 the eye of the member of the ^' P.H." whose recollection 

 carries him back to that day. 



'^ Noli me tangere '^ would have been a more suitable 

 name than " Safety-Yalve " for this magnificent but 

 dangerous animal^ who would not brook the approach 

 from behind of any other horse without fiercely lashing 

 out. Inappropriate as this title may have been, Mr. 

 Crawfurd succeeded in fairly puzzling all his friends by 

 calling one of his racehorses " Semper Durus.'' Asked 



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