Our holidays were nearly over; only a week remained for our journey. Black-Monday at length arrived; and at a late hour we started for Kingstown, where the packet was to sail at midnight. I pass over our passage and journey back. Sick at heart, jaded in body, worn-out in spirits, we thought the weather colder, the sea more agitated, the roads worse, the post-boys slower; but "time and the hour," as Alderson would have said, "runs through the roughest day," and at the end of a hundred and twenty dull and dreary hours we found ourselves entering London from the Hounslow road. It was a cold, raw, drizzling night, as we slowly drove down Grosvenor place and through the dimly lighted streets that took us by Pimlico to Dean'syard. Here we were warmly welcomed back by our particular cronies, whose holidays had expired a week before ours; which had been extended in consequence of the distance we had passed them from London. Our heads and purses being well stocked, and filled with adventures and money, rendered us great objects of attraction and interest; and it was not until a very late hour that we broke up from our supper-table, which had been amply stored with the remains of the provisions that we had brought with us from Henley, where we had stopped to dinner. A good night's rest entirely restored us, both in mind and body; and having our holiday's task neatly written out, and ample funds to carry on the war, we entered the old school with light and merry hearts. We ought here, perhaps, to remind our readers that as the object of this memoir was to lay before them " Sporting incidents at home and abroad," we have omitted many minor details connected with the changes time has made in our respective stations in school. Kirkonnel was now in the upper, I in the under, fourth; and we had both the gratification of having fags, instead of being fagged. As the period of our return was what was called "a dull half," too cold and wet for any but home and cloister amusements, we sought our fun abroad whenever we could get out for a half or a whole holiday. Sanders, the inimitable Billy, soon found us out after our return, and was as kind as ever; informing us of a match that was shortly to come off, and upon which he stood a handsome sum. In the event of his winning he was to give a splendid dinner at a French coffee-house, then recently established in Nassau-street. On the following week (fortunately for us a whole holiday) the event, which had created so great a sensation in the sporting world, from the aristocratic attender of Tattersall's down to the ostler of the "Coach and Horses," Flood-street, Westminster, came off. The bet was 500 to 300 guineas that Matt. Milton, the then celebrated horse-dealer of Piccadilly, did not ride from the corner of Dover-street, London, to Stamford in Lincolnshire, in five hours. The distance was rather more than ninety miles; and was accomplished in four hours and twenty-five minutes. As our friend Matt. did not like to throw away a chance, he immediately determined to put up the horses that had accomplished this feat at Aldridge's repository in St. Martin's-lane; and the proprietor of that establishment immediately put forth a hand-bill in rather the George Robins's style, ex. gr. :— "Remarkably fast, well-bred hackneys. To be sold by auction, on Wednesday, January 9, 1811, at twelve o'clock, the following well-known fast horses, in high condition, that performed the match from London to Stamford (a distance of ninety miles) in the short space of four hours and twenty-four minutes, carrying 15 stone.' The worthy auctioneer, we must here remark, cribbed a minute in favour of his customer. He then proceeded to describe them in the most glowing colours; and among them might be found" particularly high leapers," "good hunters," fast trotters,"" complete ladies' horses,' "uncommonly speedy nags," "many of them well-known in Leicestershire," and all with "peculiar fine action." One, by Schedoni, "was offered by his late owner to gallop twenty-five miles in one hour." As for their pedigrees, all the best blood in England seemed to have been diffused amongst these celebrated horses; for we read of their descent from the Wellesley Arabian, Hambletonian, Highflyer, Whiskey, Grey Trentham, Screveton, Buzzard, Stamford, Merlintor, Snap, Diomed, Hollyhock, Vertumnus, &c. But despite of all the puffs direct, preliminary, collateral, collusive, oblique, or puff by implication, the public would not be gulled; and the horses, eighteen in number, only realized eight hundred and twenty-three guineas; an average under forty guineas for these wonderful, high-bred horses. Milton was not, at the period we write of, at all in the ring; for in the following March he was steward of a rat-race, held at a public-house in Shepherd's-market, where four of these "varmin," decorated with different coloured ribands, were started for a sweepstakes, round the clubroom, before a host of sportsmen. This hero is still alive; and, as an active and intelligent man, and an undeniable good judge of a horse, we strongly recommend him to any of our readers who may be in want of a park hack, a roadster, a carriage, Brougham, or cab horse, or a pair of ponies. Poor Matt. we fear, is no longer Matt. o' the Mint; but for auld lang syne, having dealt with him in by-gone days, and having been always fairly treated by him, we cannot resist this humble but sincere eulogium upon the once great master of the horse in Piccadilly. It is the fashion to set down all horse-dealers as sharpers and tricksters, and many deserve those appellations; "but why," as Major Sturgeon asks, “should all be condemned for the faults of a few?" From my own experience I can aver that I have dealt with Milton, the Elmores, Harris, Kirby, and Tilbury; and in the purchase of some five-andtwenty horses, during the last thirty years, I never had a "screw" palmed off upon me, or had the slightest difference with the seller. One circumstance happened to myself; which, had it befallen a horse-dealer, would have probably damaged him not a little both in pocket and character. On joining my regiment in 1816, Harris, who supplied the troop horses, sent me up a first charger; he was unanimously approved of, and I purchased him for 100 guineas. Within two months I was ordered to Canada: and my horse, who had never been out of the riding-master's charge, was sold to a brother officer. In less than six weeks he caught cold and died. I ought to add, that up to the period that I was ordered abroad I had refused twenty-five pounds for my bargain; so much was this horse estimated in the regiment. When it was known that I was obliged to sell off my stud, the charger in question was snapped up at the original price, 100 guineas. Now, had it happened that he had died within six weeks of my original purchase, I fear I should have given way to all sorts of anathemas against the horsedealing fraternity, and probably should have called in the assistance of the "gentlemen of the long robe," as the newspapers designate them. One exception I could make in the honesty of dealers; but, as the indi vidual I allude to was and is in obscurity, I shall pass him over with the remark, that in his case he has found to his cost that "dishonesty is the worst policy." 66 But to resume. 66 Billy Sanders, who, to use his own expression, was "down upon everything," had, since his wager of 100 guineas upon Milton, which he won, become quite a sporting gent.' He made a book for the "Derby," patronized the "One Tun" in Jermyn-street, and attended Tattersall's on the Mondays. It was through Billy's instrumentality that Kirkonnel and myself first got initiated into all the tricks and technicalities of the chaunters, and we trust that the recital of of some of them may put our young and unwary readers upon their guard against the rascalities of these the lowest grade of horse-dealers. Bishopping" is one of the most common of their devices, and has the power of transmogrifying an old one into a young one. It is accomplished by filing the tusks and teeth of an aged horse to a moderate length, and scooping a hollow in the mark tooth, which is afterwards darkened with caustic. To convert a broken-winded horse into an apparently sound one requires some preparation. At first the animal must be put through a course of physic; then he must be fed on mashes and green-meat; and finally, upon the day he is to be "trotted out," hog'slard and hellebore must be plentifully administered. By these means a "roarer" is passed off as a sound horse, and warranted "ondeniably fast-no run too long for him." "Diamonding," or "beaning," is the art of making a horse that is lame upon one leg pass off as a sound horse. This operation is performed by placing a small pebble or bean under the shoe of the sound foot. This, makes the animal go equally lame upon both feet, and the purchaser is told that "the rascal of a smith has pinched him in shoeing," or, "that he has an odd way of going, but that, in fact, he is as sound as a bell." There are a variety of other tricks and " dodges" practised by the London chaunters; who will, to use their own phraseology, "drive a screw," "hook a gudgeon," "muff a soft one," by palming off lame and broken-winded animals with splints, ring-bones, spavins, speedy cuts, thorough pins, thrushes, sand-cracks, curbs and corns, as sound and valuable horses. To those, therefore, who wish to be fairly treated, let me offer a warning against horses advertised in the newspapers, without the real and responsible owner can be got at. The system of chaunting both horses and carriages is now carried on to an alarming extent. Every species of " screw is held out as a first-rate animal; and old, crazy vehicles, newly done up and varnished, are puffed off as the properties of a gentleman going abroad, or a widow. A horse, harness, and Brougham, bought in this way a bargain, for 110 guineas! turn out after a day's trial not to be worth a tenth part of that sum. animal is probably spavined and glandered, the harness nearly worn out, and the carriage a condemned street Brougham newly painted. In conclusion, let us advise those who are in want of a good turn-out to go to some respectable dealer and first-rate coachmaker; and, upon the long run, the purchaser will find that the cheapest articles are not always the best. (To be continued.) The "THE FIFE HOUNDS;" OR, A FEW MORE DAYS WITH "MERRY JOHN" IN HIS OWN LITTLE KINGDOM. BY BRUSHWOOD. "Yes, the hunt are all met, and the country is famous, BODMINTON HUNT SONG. On Wednesday, 23rd February, we left the "Banks of the Pow," to pay another visit to "Merry John" (Walker) in his own little kingdom; and as their fixed time for the following day, Thursday 24th, was at Ceres in their "Leicestershire country," we were in high hopes of something grand on the morrow. On reaching the "fair city of Perth" in which we had intended taking up our abode for the night, with the idea that we would be able to reach the "fixture" in time next day, we found that this could not be done, and so moved on at midnight by the mail train to bonnie Dundee, where we arrived at two A.M. After turning in at the "Royal" for a few hours, we crossed the Frith of Tay to Newport by the first steam-boat at seven A.M., and from the latter place proceeded by coach to Cupar, where we arrived by nine to breakfast. On the way the country looked as hard as bricks, and anything but like a hunting morning. Once landed, we soon found our way to Merry John's" snuggery, where, after the usually hearty welcome and greeting of old friends, our first question was "Do you think you will be able to go to cover to-day?" and the reply "Yes! only we must not be in over big a hurry in throwing off: the sun will soon be out, the frost will go, and then, as we draw the famous covert called Kidd's Whin'-a sure find my lads, will soon blow his pipe out; besides, do you think, Mr. Brushwood, that we are to have you come a distance of fifty miles and upwards, and not try to show you some sport? No, no, that won't do; and as you have never seen the far-famed Kidd's Whin,' I will be proud to show you one of the prettiest coverts in our 'kingdom."" In this merry mood we accompanied our friend to the kennel, and saw him draw twenty couple of his gallant warriors for the foray, among which we observed many old friends, and particularly noticed" Wild Boy," "Whimsy," and "Welcome,' by Lord Yarborough's "Dreadnought," out of Mr. Robertson's "Wisdom;" also "Beauty," "Brevity," and "Bell-maid," "Druid," and "Damper," all from the "Dreadnought" blood; neither should" Blucher," "Bellman," "Bluecap," "Bonuylass," nor "Blameless" be forgotten. They are one litter, and got by "The Fife," "Auditor," out of their "Buxom"-all two-year-old hunters, and all as good as gold. We must on, though, for the meet, which we reached by eleven A.M., and found a well-mounted field waiting the arrival of the hounds; but as the ground was still very hard, we were, as Johnny said, " in no great hurry to throw off." At length, however, after we had had a little gossip in the road, and a peep at some of the pretty damsels of Ceres (the fixture was close to the village), at a quarter past eleven we moved on to the top of the hill, and got a beautiful bird's-eye-view of the "Kidd's Whin," which lay to the left of the road on the top of the hill, surrounded by a beautiful open country for miles around. At this period of our proceedings our friend" Merry John" sang out, "Now, Mr. Brushwood, there's a beautiful covert, one of our very best, and many a glorious day's sport we have had from it;" he then added, addressing the second whip; "Jem, ride on quietly to the far end of the covert, and keep your eyes open, and see that he don't give us the slip: it ought to contain a good 'un, for I and my merry lads are determined to catch him this time; though the noble fellow beat us last trial after a glorious burst of forty minutes." All this was done and said in such a masterly manner, the very hounds seemed to understand every word that fell from their master's lips; and although we were yet two fields from the covert, each order was given in a half sort of whisper, at which key you might have heard this prince of huntsmen saying to his merry pack, "Softly! my good lads: I know you are eager for the fray; but just take time for a minute, and I will soon give you the word, for I know where you would like to be." Any observant eye, in looking at the hounds at this moment, would see that they knew that they were in the neighbourhood of a covert that they all recognized as readily as any member of the hunt, and that they were waiting only for the word to be up and at him. Jem having had as much law as sent him to his post, Walker and Dick (first whip) trotted quietly up to the covert, and the "Hoick in!" being given, every hound in a moment was over the wall and buried in the gorse. What a pleasure it is to see a pack of hounds under such command! What a moment of delightful but anxious suspense! in which state we remained for a few minutes with not a whimper, while some of the members of the hunt began to whisper a "blank for a sovereign, what a pity!" Others would remark-some young eager sportsmen" Not all drawn: must find;" and as soon as said done; for old "Benedict" struck a note that elicited a welcome cheer from his master. Again all was silent, and a few more remarks made as to the "gospel" of the challenge-Walker by this time being in the heart of the covert, and encouraging each eager hound to brush him up. Another note from "Benedict"-another from "Governess," and then the glad tidings from "Merry John" of "All right, my boys! push him up, my lads! keep quiet, you Sirs on the left! only let him go away, and then you can do as you like, and catch him if you can:" but another minute, and the whole gorse was alive with the merry music. We remained in this beautiful covert for fully five minutes; by which time Reynard found it too hot to hold him, and broke away at the south end of the wood in a line for Forefield, then turned short to the left for Burntfield, left Griegston to the right, and going at a most terrific pace over the open pastures, |