arrangement of corduroys,
leather gaiters and waterproof boots, which were, of course, wet
through; while, to crown the whole, his head was adorned with one of
those round felt hats, which exactly resemble a boiled apple-pudding,
and are known by the sobriquet of "wide-awakes," "cos they av'n't got no
_nap_ about 'em". A stout shooting pony was standing at the door of
the ale-house, with a pair of panniers, containing a portmanteau and a
gun-case, slung across its back, upon which was seated in triumph the
mighty Shrimp, who seemed to possess the singular property of growing
older, and nothing else; for, as well as one could judge by appearances,
he had not increased an inch in stature since the first day of our
acquaintance. His attitude, as I drove up, was one which Hunt would
have delighted to perpetuate. Perched on a kind of pack-saddle, his legs
stretched so widely apart, by reason of the stout proportions of the
pony, as to be nearly at right angles with his upper man, he "held
aloft" (not a "snowy scarf," but) a pewter pot, nearly as large as
himself, the contents of which he was transferring to his own throat,
with an air of relish and _savoir faire_, which would have done
credit to a seven-feet-high coalheaver. The group was completed by a
gamekeeper, who, seated on a low wooden bench, was dividing some bread
and cheese with a magnificent black retriever.

"By Jove! what splendid steppers!" was Lawless's exclamation as I drove
up. "Now, that's what I call perfect action; high enough to look well,
without battering the feet to pieces--the leg a little arched, and
thrown out boldly--no fear of their putting down their pins in the same
place they pick them up from. Ah!" he continued, for the first time
observing me, "Fairlegh, how are you, old fellow? Slap-up cattle you've
got there, and no mistake--belong to Sir John Oaklands, I suppose. Do
you happen to know where he got hold of them?"

"Harry wanted a pair of phaeton horses, and the coachman recommended
these," replied I; "but I've no idea where he heard of them."

~315~~ "Rising five and six," continued Lawless, examining their mouths
with deep interest; "no do there--the tush well up in one, and nicely
through in the other, and the mark in the nippers just as it should be
to correspond: own brothers, I'll bet a hundred pounds--good full eyes;
small heads, well set on; slanting shoulders; legs as clean as a colt's;
hoofs a _leetle_ small, but that's the bre