CHARLES DAVIS 75 



regularly since 1862, writes iiie a less flattering account of 

 them at that time. ' The first time I saw them we had 

 over thirty couple out. We uncarted at King's Beech, 

 and of course they tailed all over the place. He always 

 stopped them at the end of the first ten minutes or so. 

 Between Sandhurst and Swinley the ground had just been 

 planted, so you could see hounds and ride to them, instead 

 of brushing through jungles after them, as now. I thought 

 his hounds very weedy and mute, and a bit flashy as w^ell, 

 but perhaps I didn't know much more then than I do now ! 

 The old man could gallop, and was pretty handy when 

 wanted, though he didn't jump a lot. He rode Comus, 

 a roarer, as often as he could. Davis alw^ays showed 

 the deer to the hounds when taken. His horn was like a 

 young trombone, and sounded like the roar of a rutting stag ; 

 but hounds came well and handily to it. At this time they 

 were said to be flashy from being too often stopped and 

 taken to holloas. I fancy very few were homebred ; you 

 can't get drafts like gloves, all one size or colour.' 



■ Excepting the Hermit, Davis rode all his horses in a 

 single-rein snaffle. ' His hands,' writes Dr. Croft to me, 

 ' were quite in the right place, and his horses seemed to take 

 hold of him just sufficiently to keep him in his favourite 

 position. I consider he rode with rather long stirrups, and 

 his position when galloping was standing. He was a 

 fine horseman, with a most perfect seat. It was rare, 

 when going fast, to see him sit down in his saddle ; but his 

 position standing in his stirrups was very fine, not to be 

 equalled.' In the picture of Davis and Columbine, he 

 is standing up in his stirrups. I am sorry to say he has 

 his cap off, which I do not like ; and in a little loose 

 engraving I have of him, he is standing up to Hermit and 

 going great guns. Once hounds are away and settled, 

 I confess I like to see a long, thin-legged man sit right 



