66 Silk and Scarlet, 



do anything for him ; quite proud to do so. They 

 were indeed. He quite got round Snow, him that 

 used to live near John O'Gaunt ; such a desperate 

 man ; he would head the fox times upon times ; he 

 was always for sticking me with a pitchfork. I never 

 see anything just so savage before or since. Sir 

 Harry always came from Doncaster races to have 

 some cub-hunting ; he had an account sent him reg'lar 

 of it once a week, the moment they began. He took 

 to the hounds after Lord Southampton ; they used to 

 hunt right away from Zouch Mill to Bunney ; and 

 from Melton to Clipston in Nottinghamshire. It's cut 

 up into three now. In Mr. Meynell's time the com- 

 pany used to be at Loughboro', at The Anchor there. 

 It would be about 1804. The Duke of Rutland pub- 

 lished a map of the three hunts ; Melton was just the 

 centre, so they came there after that. 

 Goodricke's Aye ! it used to be a grand cover in old 



Gorse. times ; it's Lord Bessborough's ground. 

 I don't know what they'll do with it now. They 

 disturbed a vixen and two cubs this year, with their 

 rabbiting, dug ever so far into the earth. Another 

 time, just before the hounds were coming, some one 

 comes and draws it over-night with terriers. It's a 

 fact ; I hear they were properly watched. I don't care 

 Sir Harry's what they Say. It's truth. — What a one 



Nerve. j^g ^^s for nerve ! It would be only the 

 year before his death, a big chestnut run away with 

 with him in Ireland, in a gig. He sticks to him like 

 anything, and drives his head bang against a wall. Out 

 he jumps, and runs thirty yards, and down he goes ; 

 couldn't keep on his legs with the shock j it shook 

 him sadly. His second horseman, Harry, told me. 

 Poor fellow, he went quite deranged when his master 

 died ; he was so cut up. He used to valet him when 

 his regular man didn't go. Go to the world's end for 

 him if he held up his finger. Blamed if I wouldn't 

 have done the same. He was such a good-tern- 



