o 



26 Silk and Scarlet, 



He was a wonderfully clever made " Belvoir tan,"*of 

 about twenty-three-and-a-half inches, and especially 

 great in drawing, and picking out a scent on a cold 

 day. Dick Burton used to say that, with the excep- 

 tion of Rachael by Osbaldeston's Rasselas, whom he 

 brought with him from Lord Ducie's, and who earned 

 his eternal gratitude, with carrying it by herself 

 through more than a hundred horsemen, down the 

 cliff to Riseholme Wood, on his and her maiden day, 

 in Lincolnshire — that there was no nose he could 

 trust to like Comus's. 



Comrade. Con- ^^ ^^^^ perfect in his work up to his 

 test, and Seventh season, when he died rather sud- 

 Craftsman. ^^^-^Xy^ In 1847 Lord Henry's kennel 

 was half full of Comuses ; and it was generally con- 

 sidered a hard-running blood, which required to be 

 crossed with line-hunters. Contest, Craftsman, and 

 Comrade were three very eminent brothers by him 

 from his lordship's Sanguine by Foljambe's Sparkler, 

 Contest was never known to smeuse, but took his 

 gates like a greyhound. Comrade and Craftsman 

 were both better than him in their necks and shoulders; 

 and the latter was given to Sir Watkin Wynne, and 

 got some fifteen couple before he was passed on to 

 the Duke of Beaufort, who has always had a wonder- 

 ful liking for the sort. At one time his Grace had seven 

 couple in work by the three brothers. John Walker en- 

 tered seven sisters by the latter from Precious, among 

 which are Curious and Cheerful. Curious was in her 

 turn the dam of Conjuror (by Fitzwilliam Harbinger, 

 a grandson of Yarborough Rallywood), who measures 

 thirty-two inches round the heart, as attested by Lord 

 Berners' bullock-tape. Grappler is also a Craftsman 

 after John Walker's own heart, and he and Conjuror 

 were among " the boys that tickled up the Cheshire 

 fox " from the Rawheads on the last Monday of '58. 

 Some men holloaed at him from the Peckforton Castle 

 Hills ; and his death-warrant was signed as he sank 



