Dick Christian again. 39 



one to stand by his head, with a rein to the bridle, 

 and then try to get off and on till you're tired. A 

 few days will make him ride ; people is always so 

 impatient, and knock them about so. Dal ! I should 

 as soon have thought of hitting another man's child. 

 I never was at Ascot but once in my An interview 

 life, that would be in that great Zinganee ^^^^^^ Royalty. 

 year, I had gone to London to sell a horse to Prince 

 Lieven. When I gets to Ascot, blame me, nearly the 

 first man I sees was Jess Austin, the king's hunting- 

 groom. He come up, and he says, " Y oil re the very 

 ma7i Fve been looking for tJiis long time ; I heard you 

 was coming up ; the 'King wants to see you ; I'll go 

 ajid tell him!' He wouldn't be ten minutes coming 

 back, and he says that I was to go with him the 

 minute the Cup race was run. So I goes with Jess, 

 and I makes my obeisance; and his Majesty he begins 

 first thing quite joky about his stay with Sir Gilbert ; 

 he knew I was up to all his tricks with " Old Tot" 

 Hinchley. He remembered the names of every horse 

 I'd put him on ; blamed if he didn't ! Then he says, 

 " How well you look, Christian ; I want a horse of 

 your oivn breaking to carty Lord MaryboroiigJi with 

 my hounds!' So I told him that I had one that would 

 suit him ; and he says, '' I'm glad of that ; there's Lord 

 Maryborough in that stand waitijig for you, and you 

 can talk it over zuith him!' We conversed slap bang 

 before all the people ; some of them knowed me, and 

 they began at me. " What the devil's tip, Dick ? are 

 they going to make a baronet of y oil f But I answered 

 them, " Oh, nothing !" and away I goes to his lord- 

 ship. So I tells him all about the horse, and that Mr. 

 Marriott, of Welby, bred him. ''Ah!" he says, ''he 

 must be related to my old friend, George Marriott, Vve 

 hu7ited with George scores of times ; he was a very joy- 

 ful merry ma7i!' He didn't have him after all ; he 

 got his off fore leg in a gate, and it filled. Jess Austin 

 came twice to Melton special to see him, and I takes the 



