Dick Christian again. 29 



about the Park, and went on like anything ; reared 

 up against the trees ; then back to the house, and 

 bang against the front Hall door, and smashed a sight 

 of glass panes. It was '' Maa, Maa T all the time; 

 such fun to see him. They used to call " Maa, Maa /" 

 after me, in the villages, for many a day. We was 

 going through North Luffenham with the hounds, 

 when a blacksmith puts his head out, and tries it on. 

 Abbey the huntsman, he says to me, " When he comes 

 that again, just you ask him * Who hanged the boar V " 

 He had gone and tied a boar to a post, while he made a 

 ring for it, and when he came to put it in, it was dead. 

 That touched him up pretty smart : he called after 

 me no more. Precious cheeky of me to say it, after 

 that dung-cart business. 



Mr. Hand lived at Barleythorpe here. Mr. Hands gruei 

 He was quite a noted man — a rare sport- p^^"- 

 ing fellow — two hunters and a hack, and much re- 

 spected by the gentlemen. When his horses come 

 home, he first gives them gruel, two pails-full if 

 they'd drink it ; others never gave the quantity. His 

 horses always looked well ; he never gave over till 

 hounds did ; he had a chestnut and black for years. 

 We're getting nigh Oakham now. There was a funny 

 steeple-chase here, betwixt Mr. Gilmour j^^ Giimourand 

 and Captain Ross. They started here in Captain Ross's 

 the Oakham Road, close to Ashwell. ^^^^^^• 

 There was very little difference in weight. Mr. 

 Gilmour, he was fixed to start between two trees at 

 the bend here, and he had to jump that fence. Cap- 

 tain Ross had a hundred yards start, and he was set 

 on the other side yon third fence. Mr. Gilmour was 

 on that noted Plunder of his ; good shaped horse, 

 went low with his head. The Captain rode Polecat. 

 I piloted them ; it was about three miles. The 

 Captain he kep a long way ahead till he come to 

 Burley-lane ; then his mare refused the hedge, and 

 right up the lane with him. Mr. Gilmour, he comes 



