212 Silk and Scarlet, 



come right away as a two-year-old, from two St. Leger 

 winners, Octavian and Ashton, in the mile-and-a-halt 

 FitzwilHam Stakes, and sold him into Ireland forth 

 with for a thousand guineas. His temper got com- 

 pletely ruined there by being run three times in one 

 week on the Curragh, when he was quite out of form . 

 and when he came back he was " for noise and row 

 unequalled." Red Hart used to be bad enough at 

 Walmgate Bar, and chase his own quarters round and 

 round till he could hardly be seen for vapour ; and 

 Wanderer so nearly ate off his breast in one of his 

 absent fits at Petworth, that he had to wear a cradle 

 for the rest of his days ; but they were sucking doves 

 by the side of Oiseau, or " Oyster" as the tykes called 

 him. He was never easy for one moment, and would 

 stand and listen with his head on one side as if for tht 

 muffled tread of some ghostly tormentor. Heavy 

 chains were put on his legs, to keep him from kicking 

 himself to pieces, and thus unable to sate his rage on 

 others, he at last turned savagely on to himself at 

 midnight, and tore his own bowels out. He left a son 

 OT* a very difterent mould in the elegant little Rowton ; 

 but the Revolutions were true to their sire, and fairly 

 killed themselves with temper in breaking for the 

 hunting field. 



Whiteiock Whitelock was the other great channel 



of the Hambletonian blood. Mr. Sylves- 

 ter Reed bought him from Sir Mark Sykes, and used 

 him as a country stallion, but there was nothing in 

 his appearance which warranted his becoming so cele- 

 brated through Blacklock. His only performances 

 were good enough, as he won a Sixty Pound Plate at 

 Knutsford, and lost the Cup after a dead heat with 

 the Cheshire mare Duchess. Still, Mr. Watt always 

 declared that he had a white feather in him some- 

 where, which must come out sooner or later ; and it 

 was this conviction that made him " neve** take a real 

 fancy" to Blacklock. 



