Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

sovs. each, with 50 added, at Warwick Spring, beating Sir C. R. Cockerell's Rodney (2), Lord Warwick's Roebuck (3), and Mr. Ford's The Attorney: 5 to 4 agst. Sweetmeat, who won by two lengths. At Bath, ridden by Abdale, and carrying 5st. 13lbs., he won the Somersetshire Stakes of 25 sovs. each, 15 ft., and only 5 if declared, with 100 added (eighty-three subscribers, fifty-two of whom declared), beating Mr. King's Young Lochinvar, five years old, 7st. (2); Lord George Bentinck's Pug, three years old, 5st. 5lbs. (3); and the following not placed :-Mr. Gully's St. Lawrence, aged, 8st. 10lb.; Mr. Bastard's Captain Flathooker, six years old, 7st. 6lbs.; Mr. Ongley's Roderick, six years old, 7st. 2lbs.; Mr. Dixon's Glendower, five years old, 6st. 10lbs.; Mr. W. Scott's Agriculture, five years old, 6st. 5lbs.; Mr. Henderson's Comet, five years old, 6st. 4lbs.; Captain Delme's Temerity, five years old, 6st. 3lb.; Mr. I. Day's bay gelding by Mazeppa, out of Busk, four years old, 5st. 7lbs.; Mr. Lintott's Cabin Boy, three years old, 5st. 4lbs.; Mr. Osbaldeston's Fickle Wild Rose, three years old, 4st. 4lbs.: 6 to 1 agst. Sweetmeat, who won by a length. At Shrewsbury he walked over for the Salopian Stakes of 10 sovs. each, h. ft. (five subscribers). On the same day, carrying 6st. 3lbs., including 7lbs. extra, and ridden by Dufflo, he won the great Cleveland Handicap of 25 sovs. each, 10 ft., and 5 if declared, with 100 added (forty subscribers, 19 of whom declared), beating Mr. Mostyn's Milton, four years old, 7st. 6lbs. (2); Mr. Hill's Salopian, three years old, 5st. 11lbs. (3); and Mr. Standish's Little Hampton, four years old, 6st. 4lbs. won by a length: Mr. Hill declared to win with Salopian. On the next day he walked over for the Wynnstay Stakes of 10 sovs, each (four subscribers), and divided the forfeits with Mr. Davis's Princess Royal. And, on the third day, ridden by W. Arthur, and carrying 6st. 11lbs., including 7lbs. extra, he won the Innkeepers' Stakes of 15 sovs. each, 10 ft., and only 5 if declared, with 50 added (twenty-eight subscribers, sixteen of whom declared), beating Mr. Meiklam's Inheritress, five years old, 8st. lbs. (2); Mr. Mostyn's Master Stepney, three years old, 5st. 5lbs. (3); Mr. Flintoff's The Rhine, five years old, 6st. 12lbs.; and Mr. Minor's Rodney, three years old, 5st. 6lbs.: even on Sweetmeat, who won by nearly a length. At Ascot, ridden by Whitehouse, he won Her Majesty's Gold Vase, added to a Sweepstakes of 20 sovs. each (fifteen subscribers), beating Mr. A. W. Hill's The Libel (2), and the following not placed:-Lord Exeter's Wood Pigeon, Mr. Ford's Fuzbos, and Mr. Parry's Zanoni: 5 to 4 agst. Sweetmeat, who won easy by two lengths: Mr. Hill declared to win with him. On the Thursday, in the same meeting, he walked over for the Swinley Stakes of 25 sovs. each, 10 ft. (eight subscribers). At Liverpool, ridden by Arthur, and carrying 7st. 4lbs., he won the Derby Handicap of 10 sovs. each, with 80 added (fifty-two subscribers), beating Mr. Meiklam's Godfrey, four years old, 7st. 4lb. (2); Duke of Richmond's Lothario, five years old, 8st. 6lbs. (3); and the following not placed:-Mr. Meiklam's Trueboy, five years old, 8st. 7lbs.; Mr. Meiklam's Philip, five years old, 8st. 4lb.; Mr. Jaques's Semiseria, five years old, 8st.; Captain Harcourt's Sir Abstrupus, five years old, 7st. 8lbs.; Lord Eglinton's Quebec, five years old, 7st. 7lbs.;

Mr. Mostyn's Beaumont, four years old, 7st. 6lbs.; Mr. Armstrong's Beatrice, six years old, 7st. 6lbs.; Lord Chesterfield's Lady Wildair, three years old, 6st. 8lbs.; Mr. Armstrong's Advice, four years old, 6st. 7lbs. ; Sir J. Gerard's Juvenal, four years old, 6st.; Lord G. Bentinck's Best Bower, four years old, 5st. 8lbs.; Mr. Thompson's Sinbad, five years old, 5st. 7lbs. ; Mr. Allen's Duke of Kent, three years old, 5st. 6lbs.; and Lord Stanley's Psalmsinger, three years old, 4st. 7lbs.: 4 to 1 agst. Sweetmeat, who won by a length. On the Friday, in the same meeting, ridden by Arthur, he won the Grosvenor Stakes of 15 sovs. each, 5 ft., with 30 added (fourteen subscribers), beating Mr. Bennett's Hope: 8 to 1 on Sweetmeat, who won by three lengths. At Newton, ridden by Calloway, he won the St. Helen's Purse of 50 sovs., added to a Sweepstakes of 15 sovs. each, 10 ft. (ten subscribers), beating Mr. Ramsay's MidLothian (2), Mr. Bennett's Lancashire Witch (3), Sir J. Gerard's Pluto (4), and the following not placed:-Mr. Critchley's Cœur de Lion, Mr. W. H. Hornby's Box, and Mr. Standish's filly by Tomboy, out of Lapwing: won by half a length. At York he walked over for the Dundas Stakes of 15 sovs. each, 10 ft. (seven subscribers). On the Friday, in the same meeting, ridden by Flatman, and carrying 7st. 71b., he beat Mr. Meiklam's Inheritress, five years old, 8st. 7lbs., in a Match for £150 each: 7 to 4 on Sweetmeat, who won by a head. At Doncaster, ridden by Whitehouse, he won the Cup, value 300 sovs., beating Mr. Salvin's Alice Hawthorn (2), Mr. Mostyn's Pantasa (3), and Lord G. Bentinck's Miss Elis: 5 to 4 on Sweetmeat, who won by a length. At Oswestry he walked over for the Foal Stakes of 25 sovs. each (four subscribers). At Wrexham he walked over for the Bryn-y-pys Stakes of 25 sovs. cach (five subscribers); and also for the Gold Cup of 100 sovs. in specie. At Knutsford he walked over for the Cup of 10 sovs. each, 5 ft. (fifteen subscribers); and also for a Sweepstakes of 5 sovs. each (twelve subscribers)..

With these merely pro forma proceedings Sweetmeat concluded another season's work, through which, it will be noted, he advanced strictly on the Veni, vidi, vici principle of the "hook-nosed gentleman" from whom the motto has been handed down. Indeed, Sweetmeat's laurels for '45 were never but once in anything like real danger, and then (in his match with Inheritress) he was brought out on by no means favourable terms-an excuse, by the bye, of which he might very justly have availed himself on many other occasions; for this, however, we have shown there was no call, he having run over all kinds of courses, at all kinds of weight, and in all kinds of company, with the same able and excellent effect.

[blocks in formation]

In 1845 he started nineteen times and won eighteen, and

[blocks in formation]

Though for the last twenty years my social intercourse has been confined to the lovers of woodcraft, it has seldom been my lot to fall in with those who have had any experience in polecat-hunting; yet, from the wild character of the sport, I doubt not but that many a rough and ready, ravenous chasseur might find a most charming feast in its pursuit. A youth once entered at this prince of small varmint, could not fail to go straight in after years: it must be a case of "Macte novâ virtute, puer" with him; and from polecat he would proceed to fox, as naturally as he would from his little-go to his great for like reason Daniell recommends young foxhounds to be entered at Marten, because they learn not to dread briars and rough work, and take to drawing for their true game the more readily. Unless the country be suited for the sport, the pursuit of the polecat cannot be maintained with success: where rabbits are found, for instance, it is quite impracticable, as he finds a safe and speedy refuge in their burrows, and defies dislodgment; the same objection would also apply to rocky districts, where crags and tors would avail him in time of need. The polecat, however, is most commonly found in moors, sedgy lands, and rough, uncultivated wastes: here he is to be sought, and may be followed with advantage, as every find is likely to end with a death. If he were not, as he is, about the most fœtid animal in existence, the nature of the country through which he travels favours the hound, for it always holds a scent; and therefore to check upon him, or eventually to lose him, barring earths, is an occurrence that rarely takes place. The best season for hunting him

is late in the evening during summer, or with a bright moonlight in the autumn, when, with two or three couple of hounds that are staunch from riot, and in such a country as I have described, a man may reckon upon running it into a brace or two of them per night. There is a breed of hound known in the north of England as the foumarthound, which is the proper animal for this sport; his characteristics are, a drooping stern, wire-hair, and a deep tongue. Captain Hd, in Lancashire, was famous for this breed, and many years ago (I cannot say it is not the case now) used to pursue the polecat, or foumart as he called him, with the utmost ardour. I have heard of a bet he once made, and won too, on the great powers of scent which his foumart-hounds possessed: he backed them to hunt the trail of a polecat that had been turned out twenty-four hours before the hounds were laid on, and this they accomplished to the satisfaction of every one present:

"I cannot tell how the truth may be:

I say the tale as 'twas said to me."

Many may be found to doubt the deed; but for my own part I see nothing wonderful or improbable in it. I have frequently observed a hound throw up his nose to catch the wind, and then going straight for a point at least half a mile distant, hit off the line of a polecat on a wild moor. Hounds soon become very fond of the sport, and, after a few nights' hunting, perfectly staunch from all other game: a hound cannot be too slow nor too deep in his tongue for this amusement; and a sharp terrier or two will render great service if he happen to get into his hover, which is, however, generally shallow; or, if he get into an old stump of a tree, or a hedge-row, a terrier will be quicker in taking him than a heavy hound. The best hound for a polecat I ever saw was an old bitch called "Careless," belonging to the late Henry Lewis, Esq., of Park, in Glamorganshire: she always drew for her game very wide of you; and when she threw her tongue, it sounded in the stilly night like the booming of a tenor-bell

"Over some wide-watered shore,
Swinging slow with sullen roar,"

Her instinct

and never deceived you as to the quality of her game. on a hedge-row was wonderful; for if a polecat ran his foil ten times over, she turned as he turned, and seemed never at a loss; and if he stopped for an instant, she stood and marked him. It will be under.. stood that she did not get into a hedge, but worked to and fro by the side of it, so that a polecat when hard pressed might traverse and retraverse it over and over again. Old Careless had another peculiarity when she came on the line of a polecat, I never knew her run heel, which all hounds are prone to do, but always hit off the scent in the right direction. During the night, if any hounds flashed away on the scent of an otter, Careless seemed to be utterly indifferent to it; but during the day-time she was as good an otter-hound as ever followed a river: so much for the superior sagacity with which some hounds are gifted beyond others.

A polecat will travel a great number of miles during a night; and

H

if you get upon his line near the point whence he first moved, you
will find very pretty and quite sufficient diversion for one night in his
pursuit. About fifteen years ago, at the time when "Swing," the
great promoter of incendiarism alarmed the country, and corn-ricks
burned like beacons from one end of the kingdom to the other, I en-
gaged to meet some friends in a wild, sequestered spot, for the pur-
pose of hunting the polecat. On my road I had occasion to pass
through a large farm-yard about twelve o'clock at night, and, on
getting into the "mowey," I suddenly heard a gun cocked very near
me. I had sufficient presence of mind to shout out, "Who's there?-
mind what you're at: don't shoot!" when a man, advancing with gun
in hand from the dark side of a rick, exclaimed: "God forgive me,
sir, but you've had a narrow escape of your life. I took you to be
'Swing; and had I not seen your old hound Rattler, in one moment
you would have been a dead man!" This was a lesson which I
availed myself of; and during those disturbed times, I ever after care-
fully avoided farm-yards by night. On that occasion we found five
polecats, killed three, and put two to ground under the same old
barn. Our sole object was sport; and we could not apply to our-
selves the merit of purposing to do the public a service by destroy-
ing a
noxious vermin;" but that we did do them a vast service there
can be little doubt, for few animals are more destructive in a hen-
roost than the polecat; and as to game, a couple of them would
unstock Prince Albert's preserves in one week.

[ocr errors]

A SAFE SHOT.

ENGRAVED BY J. WESTLEY, FROM A PAINTING BY G. ARM FIELD.

No class of British field-sport would appear to have more degenerated in practice than the trigger. Of late years especially, the system of over-preserving game in many quarters has raised an outcry against the patrons of powder and shot-we must candidly confess, by no means without good or great provocation. Formerly, some fifty years ago we will say, the common notion with respect to a sportsman was picturing in the mind's eye a man "out on a walk," in company with, as the song written just at that period has it, "his dog and gun." The sportsman then in fact, almost par excellence with the rest of the world, was the shooter; a statement which the powers of printer's ink, as well as the memory of the oldest inhabitant, furnish us with ample evidence to support. Whenever the literary man of that day, the poet, the dramatist, or the politician, thought fit as on rare occasion we find he did-to turn his thoughts to the subject of rural recreation, it is ten to one but the verse was rounded off, the character filled up, or the essay finished in a high

[ocr errors]
« AnteriorContinuar »