64 Life and Times of " The Druid" 



I made acquaintance with him, and with his 

 faithful custodian, Hemming, stud groom to 

 Lord John Scott, whom I understand that 

 Matthew Dawson prefers to all the other 

 masters whom he has served in his long 

 career. 



" Let us revert, now, to more strictly 

 boyish amusements than horse racing. For 

 'big side runs,' in which boys in the Upper 

 School were almost compelled to join, I 

 never had much liking, and generally de- 

 clined to take part in them, although well 

 aware that my refusal made me unpopular 

 with my fellows. But I took the greatest 

 delight, when free from ophthalmia, in ' big 

 side jumping,' although to this day my joints 

 warn me of the severity of the strain to which 

 I subjected them in jumping high gates, 

 and plunging into brooks which were too 

 wide for me or anyone else of my age to 

 clear. ' Hare and hounds ' was also a very 

 popular pastime with many, and the hares 

 had special orders, when they pulled up at 

 some well-known public house after they had 

 completed their twelve-mile circuit, to prepare 

 plenty of bread and cheese and home-brewed 



