Silk. 85 



his seventy hooded hawks were kept, to complete the 

 devastation among the Yorkshire Wold game, which 

 his three 1 50-guinea guns, '* Death, Destruction, and 

 Fate," were unable to accomplish, is forgotten for the 

 nonce in the prospect of the forthcoming Grosvenor 

 Stakes. 



During the whole of the new era, Mr. Features of the 

 Fox was confederate with Lord Foley, ^^^ ^'^^ 

 winning 30,000/. at one Spring Meeting alone, and 

 alike ready to match his horses " cross and jostle," 

 over the Beacon, at a moment's notice, or play for a 

 shilling at teetotum. With him politics and racing 

 flowed pleasantly on together. He had no more active 

 canvasser for the buff and blue than Old Tat, in the 

 Westminster election, and ke bought Maid of All- 

 Work from him when it was over. Tandem did well 

 for that far-seeing auctioneer, but " Hammer and 

 Highflyer" was the toast of his heart, and he loved 

 best to hear it drunk with all the honours by the whole 

 body of Newmarket jockeys, when he gave his annual 

 dinner to them at Ely, after the toils of the season. 

 Eight of the three great races fell to Highflyer's stock, 

 but at last he wasted away into the exact image of his 

 three-year-old self ; and, although only nineteen, left 

 470 winners in the Calendar. His owner died soon 

 after, just as the Turf — to which the rivalry of himself 

 and O'Kelly, the one buying up Marske and the other 

 Herod mares for their paddocks, lent no little zest — 

 once more began slightly to decline. This languor, 

 however, soon passed away. Highflyer began to live 

 again in the stud triumphs of Lord Derby's Sir Peter, 

 and Eclipse in King Fergus, for whom Mr. Hutchin- 

 son would have fought to his knees in blood. The very 

 coal-heavers discussed the merits of the looming 

 match between Hambletonian and Diamond, quite as 

 learnedly over their cheese and onions at Mundy's 

 Coffee House, as their betters, led on by the owners of 

 Eclipse and Bacchus, amid hazard and faro upstairs ; 



