WHO IS TO RIDE HIM ? 303 



at " playing 'oss." With all these sporting accom- 

 plishments he was much looked up to in his regi- 

 ment, and it was said that the man who could live 

 with George Braclon in any country for twenty 

 minutes was Al in the pigskin. 



Two years previous to the time I am speaking 

 of, he found himself master of Bradon Hall ; his 

 mother had gone many years before. 



The first thing he did was to sell out and come 

 home, where he had ever since resided. All the 

 men in his regiment had the blues when he left. 

 " It was an infernal bore," Captain Swagger re- 

 marked, "to lose such a vewey fine fellaw as 

 Bwadon ; he should like to know who the devil 

 could bwoo such a cwawat-cup as Bwadon ? " 



At any rate George left, taking with him a mag- 

 nificent gold snuff-box, a present from his fellow- 

 officers, " which would be," as the lieutenant-colonel 

 said, " a doocid nice thing to push about the dinner- 

 table when he and his old friends of the regiment 

 came down to hunt and shoot with him." 



Some of them had been true to their word, and 

 paid him a visit now and then in the sporting 

 season. George was delighted to see them ; it put 

 him in mind of old times, and he was always glad 

 to know how matters were going on in his old 

 corps. 



