154 REMINISCENCES, ETC. 



sent him at the fence as if he were riding at water. The 

 impetus carried him over the ditch, and he landed safely in 

 the next field, bringing the best part of the fence along 

 with him. A timid rider, or one with less presence of 

 mind, in either of the above positions, would inevitably 

 have met with what is known in sporting parlance as * a 

 case.' " 



He was once drawing for a fox on his famous horse Fire- 

 King (his horse and yacht of that name did him alike good 

 service), when he came to a precipitous bank at the end of 

 a meadow, with a most formidable drop into a hard road. 

 •' You cannot get out there, sir," said a polite farmer. " I 

 should like very much to see the place where we'''' (patting 

 Fire-King) " cannot go," was the reply ; and down he rode, 

 to the astonishment of the field. This circumstance 

 occurred at Martin, near Wexcombe, and is spoken of to 

 this day as a most dangerous leap. 



Mr. Smith's character as a master of hounds has been 

 ably and faithfully drawn by Mr. IsTewdegate, member for 

 North Warwickshire, himself an excellent sportsman and 

 daring rider : " Mr. Smith was, in the field, sometimes 

 very rough-tempered, and cared not whom he offended. 

 He thus made many personal enemies, or rather exasperated 

 those who were jealous of his pre-eminence ; but he was 

 almost always just in his anger, and only fell foul of those 

 who were spoiling sport. He had one great characteristic : 

 he was determined that hunting should be a sport worthy 

 of gentlemen, and of which ladies need not be ashamed. As 

 master of a country he would not countenance, nay more, 

 he very actively discountenanced, gambling, drinking, and 

 debauchery. He was not foolish enough to set himself up 

 as a severe moralist, but he was steadfastly opposed to what 

 might be called the ostentation of vice. He was, in fact, a 

 good man, with all the qualities of a first-rate soldier ; 

 and these, I believe, produced the cordial friendship 



