Blood Sires, 203 



finding a thankful donee. Had the Marquis kept 

 hounds, little Touchstone might have been popped 

 into the kennel copper, and not been the first of such 

 Lilliputians who has furnished a dainty veal supper 

 to the hungry spotted tribe of the Rummagers and 

 the Rallywoods. Since Touchstone's escape, Mel- 

 bourne, Liverpool, Ion, The Baron, Kingston, Elthi- 

 ron, Inheritress, Wild Dayrell, and Fandango, have 

 trampled on this ancient theory. Touchstone himself 

 had magnificent quarters ; but his stock have too 

 often heavy shoulders, which sadly baffle the trainer's 

 art. His sire Camel's shoulders and withers were 

 high almost to deformity ; and his quarters were so 

 cloven and large, and his tail set on so low, that as 

 you looked at him from behind, and missed his fine 

 blood-like head, he seemed as strong and coarse as a 

 cart-horse. Camel was an especial favourite with Mr. 

 Theobald, and he refused an off'er of 10,000/. for him, 

 Rockingham, Laurel, and Tarrare, who stood along 

 with Caccia Piatti, Cydnus, and one or two others at 

 his Stockwell stud farm. There has seldom been a 

 greater enthusiast in horseflesh than the old hosier of 

 Snow Hill, and he perfectly worshipped Whalebone. 

 If you called on him at his house of business, you 

 were invariably told that he was so much engaged 

 that he could see no one ; but " Perhaps yon could say 

 that I have come about some horses!' was the unfailing 

 picklock of an interview. In a few short minutes the 

 hosiery points were settled out of hand, and his mas- 

 sive figure would be seen looming in the distance, in 

 top-boots and buckskins, and a capacious blue gilt- 

 buttoned coat a la Duke of Portland. If he did not 

 carry you off bodily to Stockwell, you were beckoned 

 forthwith behind the glass doors of his sanction j 

 and there you sat, with the nuttiest of sherry and 

 the most venerable of port at your elbow, and 

 heard of Whalebone, the little "Whalebone weed" 

 (Spaniel), who was bought for 150/. over the Petworth 



