The Royal Buckhounds, 177 



the day's sport. Punctual to the appointed time, 

 Goodall, with fifteen and a half couples of hounds in 

 racing condition, attended by his three whips, appeared 

 on the scene ; Bartlett riding Barley thorpe, a remark- 

 ably clever looking bay horse, recently purchased in 

 the shires. 



The customary parade in the adjoining paddock soon 

 drew a host of spectators. Amongst the first to 

 attract my attention was Mr. Cox, of Hillingdon Park, 

 who I have known as a constant attendant on the 

 Royal pack for the last forty years. A straight man 

 across country and an elegant rider was this fine 

 sportsman ; and many a time have I been content to 

 follow in his wake across the Harrow country, feeling 

 sure I should not go very far wrong if I stuck close to 

 so excellent a pilot. Now he has ceased to ride hard, 

 and is content to trot quietly along instead of sailing 

 across the grass as he was wont to do in former days. 



Another familiar face now appears upon the scene, 

 and I recognise Mr. Hurman, a bold rider and an 

 excellent horseman, who could hold his own over the 

 stifiest country, and was wont to go the pace as well 

 as any man I have ever seen with the staghounds. 

 Amongst a large field I observed Colonel EJarford on a 

 thoroughbred one, accompanied by Mrs. Richardson, 

 Mr. and Mrs. Herbert of Mucross, Mr. Seymour 

 Grenfell, Captain C. Needham, Captain Knov/les, Mr. 

 Gerald Paget, Mr. Bowen May, and many of the old 

 inhabitants of the district — true lovers of sport. But 

 I missed the familiar face of Mr. Tattersall, who failed 

 to attend on this occasion, and some others whose 

 places are now filled by the rising generation. 



Upon the arrival of Lord Hardwicke the motley 



12 



