44 Silk and Scarlet, 



RuffordtoWit. ^^^^ Scarbro' engaged me to go to 

 Rufford, when I met him at Bunney 

 Steeple-chases ; that 'ud be in '41. I was with him 

 from October to May, reg'lar in the house, all com- 

 fortable for fifteen years, and he never gave me one 

 angry word all the time ; quite the reverse ; every- 

 thing I did was always right with him. He was a 

 very cheerful man. I rode Skirmisher's grandam 

 when I was there ; then his lordship tells me to look 

 out for a horse, and I took such a fancy to Lord 

 Henry's Gardham, when I see him at OUerton, that I 

 got him to send three mares. She was one of them. 

 I rode her filly to hounds, and I tells his lordship 

 " She's such capital action, and so fast, I warrant 

 she'll breed race-horses." I never rode a nicer ; such 

 a beautiful jumper; quite a lady's horse. So his 

 lordship set his mind on Voltigeur, and the old and 

 young mare both goes. This Skirmisher and Sharp- 

 shooter — he'll be dead that one — were the foals. I 

 wonder what relations you call them ; that licks me. 

 What a strong man Lord Manvers was ! he was 

 always very friendly out hunting. I've seen him get 

 to places that wasn't practicable, and he'd get off and 

 smash it down as if it was only a stick to break. 

 Miss Milbanke, what a clipping rider she was with the 

 Rufford ! such a seat and hands ; I never see her beat 

 CHmbingBur- by none of them. That minds me of 

 row Hiu. poor Lady Eleanor Lowther. What a 

 thing I once see her do ! She come to the very 

 steepest part of Burrow Hill, close to the hounds ; 

 and she says to me, " Richard! if you will go up here 

 with the hoimds, F II follow you^ Near the top, hang 

 me if I didn't think she and the horse would be over 

 backwards. I says, " Do, my lady, catch hold of your 

 horse's mane, and lean forwards more." So we gets 

 up safe, and they all went round, and, my word, the 

 gentlemen did stare when they see us. 



I've seen many good runs when I was at Lord Scar- 



