64 Silk and Scarlet, 



them a couple of sovereigns to drink ; they'd be as 

 mute as mice. He was judge in that great race 

 between Clinker and Radical ; Sir Vincent Cotton 

 started them ; Captain Ross and Captain Douglas 

 rode them ; I was pilot. There was a deal of talk 

 about a steeple-chase between Sir Harry and The 

 Squire ; a thousand a-side ; ten miles out of the Cot- 

 tesmore country, by Barrow Gorse to Cream Gorse ; 

 Sir Harry was to have rode Limner (him he bought 

 of Mr. Lynes) ; he was a wonder of a horse. It got 

 first talked about at Squire Hartopp's, of Little 

 Dalby ; Sir Harry and three of his best horses were 

 in training for three weeks ; I and my son James were 

 to have ridden with him on Smasher, and another 

 thoroughbred, — in front and behind ; Dick Burton 

 and another with the Squire. It got settled a day or 

 two before ; the gentlemen thought there'd be a 

 wrangle, so they got it stopped. I think The Squire 

 would have out-rode him. The farmers didn't like it. 

 They can't abide staghounds and harriers, and all that 

 sort of thing. I don't wonder at it ; many of their 

 farms is just like gardens. They're good ones for 

 foxes though ; that's right enough with them. 



His Crack Sir Harry was slow at his fences ; he 

 Hunters. crept, Seldom jumped a fence clean, made 

 his horses jump in. He got a many horses from that 

 Gould of Swaffham. His estates were near there ; 

 The Smasher was among the first lot of horses he 

 bought ; he was named right enough, he was a regular 

 smasher ; he was a fine owdacious brown horse, and 

 wanted nice hands ; rather a queer style with him ; 

 he'd get quite under his fence before he jumped ; Sir 

 Harry rode him in one of my bridles ; nothing could 

 beat him across country. I've seen Sir Harry do 'em 

 just when he got fairly into a run ; Lord Plymouth 

 gave 500 guineas for him ; his lordship tried it on two 

 years ; Sir Harry told him he couldn't ride him, and 

 he wouldn't take no less than his first price. He often 



