Dick Christian again. 61 



same week as that Shac-a-bac got that tying up I 

 told you of. They had a tremendious run, and kills 

 near Market Harborough, in the Navigation. Mr. 

 Gurney, he gets off Robin, and he goes and fishes the 

 fox out ; then he lies on the bank with his legs up, to 

 get the water out of his boots ; and all the gentlemen 

 a laughing at him — such a sight ! there was so much 

 of him. 



There was quite a do at Rolleston Mr. Smith's last 

 when Mr. Smith come back to have a day in Leicester- 

 day at Shankton Holt ; it would be in '^^'^• 

 April, 1840. Dick Burton and Will Cowley come 

 with him. There were twenty-eight couples of hounds, 

 and fourteen horses. Mr. Smith rode Antwerp, and 

 Dick had a grey one called Jim Crow, that day. 

 Antwerp had a deal of hair and skin knocked off in 

 the train, so he got Dick to paint him a bit. There 

 was quite a party at Rolleston to meet him. Prince 

 Ernest came from Deane. I'll be bound there were 

 three thousand on horseback ; when the first lot were 

 at Shankton Holt, the tail end weren't out of Rolles- 

 ton Gates ; all so pleased to see him among 'em again. 

 They were looking out of the window, Mr. Smith and 

 the Prince and Mr. Greene, when a fox crossed right in 

 front of them, to Rolleston Wood ; he'd got fright- 

 ened by the noise. Mr. Smith says, " We'll have 

 him!' and they went there first to draw, but he had 

 gone on. Then he went to Shankton Holt, but he 

 hardly half-drew it. The top part's the thickest, and 

 he was never in it ; he seemed quite nervous for his 

 hounds, the crowd was so great. Mr. Greene goes up 

 to him when he blew his horn on the Carlton side, 

 and tells him he'd not been half through it. He says, 

 ^^ Never mind ! which is the way to Norton GorseV 

 So away he goes with the hounds, across country with 

 Captain White, and Mr. Greene, and Dick Burton, 

 and one or two more, as hard as they could split. 

 Not ten people but thought they were running; it was 



