Sir Tattou Sykes. 221 



well, but no mangel is grown, as Mr. Borton does not 

 admire it for sheep food. The little show meadow is 

 just behind the house, but it looked dreary to what it 

 did when we visited it the year before and found the 

 hirers round the pens, the union jack flying on the 

 refreshment-booth, and Mr. F Anson in his green and 

 yellow cravat, and with " a correct card" of the sheep 

 to be let in his hand, gravely examining Blair Athol. 

 The old ram, however, was here again by the side of 

 Sir Tatton Sykes, and so were the Royal and the* 

 Yorkshire sheep, with the twins Blue Cap and Blue 

 Face, the first and second at Scarboro', while Brid- 

 lington was on the broken-down list. The fifteen- 

 year-old ewe, which we had seen such a perfect 

 skeleton, and taking her grass on her knees, had 

 joined old Sledmere in the Happy Pastures, and the 

 capital second pen of Royal gimmers will be lucky if 

 they can earn such a character as this " Belgravian 

 mother of the flock." 



CHAPTER IX. 



"I would only advise you, Mr. Spectator," applying himself to me, 

 " to take care how you meddle with country Squires. They are the 

 ornaments of the English nation, men of good heads and sound bodies, 

 and, let me tell you, some of them take it ill of you that you mention 

 foxhunters with so little respect." — Spectator. 



The late Sir Tatton Sykes — Life at Sledmere — Old Bob Ramsden — 

 Market Weighton Trotters — A visit to Givendale — The late Mr. 

 Etty, R.A. — A Morning on Langton Wold — Blair Athol. 



TWO hands across the breast, and labour is done," 

 was a thought which Yorkshire seemed to put 

 far from it in connexion with Sir Tatton. " Grand- 

 father Whitehead " vowed that his heart was as young 

 and his step as firm as when he was twenty-five ; and 

 when a third generation beheld his vigorous old age, 



