A FAMOUS HUNTER 125 



animal was purchased for twenty-five sovereigns. 

 I used him in business, and was supposed to get one 

 day a fortnight with the hounds. I had plenty of 

 falls, but nothing serious, and by degrees, as one 

 horse was lamed or worn out, he was ' promoted ' to 

 the plough or harrow on the farm. 



Years rolled on, and it so happened that my 

 native town became a centre of sport, and the 

 fame of the fertile Vale of Aylesbury spread far and 

 wide as a steeple-chase and hunting district. I 

 formed at that time, with the assistance of two well- 

 known sportsmen, over my Prebendal farm, what 

 was considered and is still thought to be, the best 

 natural course in England. I had then married, and 

 these two gentlemen, noticing that I had many a 

 fall with the hounds, protested that my life was then 

 too valuable to be trusted to the class of horse to 

 which I had been accustomed ; would I allow them 

 to send me a nag worthy of the country, and of such 

 superior manners that I should feel comfortable in 

 negotiating the Aylesbury ox-fences and doubles ? 

 I agreed, albeit as they rode horses for which they 

 were in the habit of giving from 250 to 300 guineas 

 each, I was rather afraid of the deal. However, 

 they knew my means were somewhat limited, and 

 that I could not afford a big price. One morning, 

 as these two gentlemen were going to meet Lord 

 Lonsdale's harriers, in a lovely hunting country, the 

 clattering of a horse's feet attracted my attention. 

 I looked round, and saw a railway porter leading 

 into the yard a horse carefully clothed up, with a 



