MR. ASSHETON SMITH 95 



Joe Maiden himself had a false leg, his own having 

 been amputated. Captain White and Mr. Maxse kept 

 house together, their dwelling receiving the name of 

 Claret Lodge from the amount of wine they got through. 

 Captain White is mentioned in "Nimrod's" Quarterly 

 Review run, and there is an engraving of him jumping 

 a gate, which " Snob " is attempting to open. He hunted 

 from Melton, and then in 1842 took his leave of that 

 place, where he was regarded as the last of the Mohi- 

 cans, and became master of the Cheshire hounds, which 

 he hunted for twelve seasons. During his early days, 

 while staying at Melton, he went out to meet Lord 

 Lonsdale's hounds, and took part in two capital runs, 

 one of forty minutes and the other of an hour and ten 

 minutes, the fox being killed in each instance. Captain 

 White finished his day twenty-four miles from Melton, 

 and after riding leisurely thither, he had a chop and a 

 cup of tea, and then proceeded to ride to his residence, 

 Park Hall, Derbyshire, a great many miles distant ; 

 he crossed the Peak of Derbyshire in a violent snow- 

 storm, reaching home about midnight. Captain White, 

 by the way, was known as the " Light Manchester," 

 while his chum, Mr. Maxse, was called the " Heavy 

 Bristol." 



In April 18 16 we find Mr. Smith writing a courteous 

 letter to Mr. Cradock in connection with his coverts about 

 Gumley. The master points out that it is the only place 

 upon which they have to depend in the district, and that, 

 though he knows it is Mr. Cradock's wish that foxes 

 should be preserved, he states that he had been unlucky 

 in not finding them in the coverts. 



Mr. Smith was then drawing near the end of his 

 period of mastership ; but just as we hear nothing of 

 how he came to take the Quorn country, so we learn 

 nothing as to the reasons which caused him to resign, 

 and, strange as it may seem, the very date of his retire- 



