298 Saddle and Sirloin. 



who were then Mr. Fisher's gentlemen-at-arms, drew 

 the crate, with Yorkshire Prioress in it, off the truck, 

 and distinctly remembered hearing the sow rise on to 

 her feet. She was only left for eight or ten minutes 

 while the other pigs and the luggage were looked up, 

 but she was never seen alive again. One theory was 

 that she had been suffocated by the crowd, but Mr. 

 Fisher considered that it had been done purposely 

 with a little chloroform, which would tell almost in- 

 stantaneously on so fat a subject. Almost before he 

 could believe she was dead, a lot of rough fellows 

 showed an immense anxiety to purchase the carcase. 

 Her throat was cut, and after a good deal of chaffer- 

 ing, a bargain was struck at 7/. In the course of the 

 week he espied some of the most talkative vendees 

 presiding over a bread and fat bacon counter in a tent, 

 and felt more sure than ever that he had a key to the 

 sow's mysterious fate. " Dick" was inconsolable, and 

 wished to return at once to his native vale, but the 

 sale of the Carhead Duchess litter insensibly revived 

 him, and enabled him to bear up under the dispensa- 

 tion. And well it might, as they were going off by 

 10 guineas and 12 guineas apiece. One noble lord 

 stood cheapening a pair, while the agent of another 

 kept stirring the pets of his fancy on to their legs. 

 They were pigged on April 12th, and the eleven which 

 went to Salisbury cleared 116/. 10s. , 



The best of them, Sir Roger de Coverley, to whom 

 the Carhead large breed owed so much, both for good 

 and very large litters, was kept at home, and after 

 winning sixteen prizes, was sold to the Russian 

 Government at three years old for 20/., and got suffo- 

 cated on the road. The Golden Dream strain was not 

 so big as the Chelmsford Duchess one, but the old 

 sow was a wonder of fertility, and had 153 pigs at 

 thirteen litters ; while her daughter, Golden Days, had 

 three litters of eleven each, and won nine prizes before 

 she touched twenty-two months. Lord of the Was- 



