50 REMINISCENCES, ETC. 



it, many gentlemen did not like its looks. Mr. Smith, 

 throwing his whip into his left hand, and at the same 

 time taking out his pocket-handkerchief (this was done by 

 way of giving the thing an air of negligence), said, *' So 

 you won't have it, gentlemen ?" Then taking the fence 

 diagonally, he, by his peculiarly light hand, made his horse 

 leap in this way, first on the bank, then over the stile and 

 down on the other side. Nobody else could take the fence 

 in the same manner, or would attempt it in any other. 



In later years, as his income increased, price was no 

 object to him in the purchase of his horses. Among those 

 for which he gave large sums were Election, Netheravon, 

 Fire-king, Black Diamond, Ham Ashley, and King Dan, 

 who will live long in the memory of those who witnessed 

 their symmetry and prowess. He gave Lord Rosslyn four 

 hundred guineas for Rory O'More, one of the best animals 

 he ever possessed. Fire-king also well repaid his price, 

 whom the members of the Tedworth Hunt will long re- 

 member as willing to run away with everybody, and able to 

 do so even with the squire. 



" Perhaps the most remarkable Irish hunter of the 

 present century was Mr. Assheton Smith's Fire-king — a 

 sixteen-hand, very large-limbed, light-fleshed, and deep- 

 girthed thorough-bred chestnut. He was bought by 

 Mr. William Denham of Kegworth, from Mr, Robert 

 Lucas of Liverpool, in January, 1840, for £5 only, and 

 was just as unmanageable a savage as ever wore a bridle. 

 However, Mr. Denham contrived to beat all Derbyshire 

 on him, both with fox-hounds and Lord Chesterfield's 

 stag-hounds ; Will Derry, who was riding one of his lord 

 ship's thorough-bred 300-guinea chestnuts, frankly acknow- 

 ledging on one occasion, that he could not live with him 

 any part of the run. He also distinguished himself in 

 Leicestershire in two runs, one from Cream Gorse, and 

 the other from Sir H. Goodricke's Gorse. Next day 

 Mr. Assheton Smith rode up to 'Mr. Denham, at Croxton 



