The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-09-10
ifom The Mem nouiitfy H1gdsiu,.
THE HUNTING ALDERMAN.
" Nov LET u sing iaHs liya ths king,
Anf GilpiH long live ha

All whea he next doth ride abroad
Nav be there to aee.e---JohH O,iyin-
VINO has Ger been IN Paris must peedt
know the Greve' says Prlor's song aud II ~ nj.
most equally impossible for any one 10 have
been ia the neighboorhood Of Taunton, at least
fine hsve any venatoriaI blood in ms veins,
without knowing the worthy Squire Tasborough
the staunchest Nimrod left to rs since Colonel
Thornton Of sporting celebrity was unfortunate
enough 10 be AZ his own death. a." Fifty guineas
TO five cried the Squire to party Of hunting
companions who were giving no respite 10 the
nIaenurns ofclaret at his own table, fifty gui-
meas TO ten that the alderman won't turn out
with rs next Friday =" Done" cried old Major
/ Cunningham" And five hundred guneas to
iny' roared the squire, that he wont be in al
the death Done to that too, replied the
MAJOR 3" always take the long odds % II was
a bet aud regularly entered in their pocket
books by the respective parties.
I | am moi at liberty Ia give any other clue 10
| the Alderman IN question. than by stating that
he purchased an estate nbout two years ago III
/ Somcrsrtsbre. which will probably be n suffice
en- guide "a my civic rcadcrs snd that he was
hardly ever known TO have been on horseback in
his life the invitation TO the hunt had hcen SEM
20 him a mere frollc. although II had produc-
ed the very serious bets have recorded 9th
/ cr wagers arose out Of these, ut mos est re7aio.
/ ribu1 aud as considerable interest had been ex-
cited by their ridiculous nature. resolved to be
IN the field aud witness their denominations The
day appointed for the hunt was one ufthose nus.
| ~ dewy dri1zling mornings d October, which
seems 10 be an anticipation of the succeeding
month and 10 leave You III doubt whether it Will
settle INTO confirmed iiiin, sparkle UP INTO Il
! fresh buoyant inyigoratine day Euston Conn
| mon, the place 0lIendeEyous, runs into a thckei
OF oaks underwood, slopng down with easy
descent TO Ihorley Bottom Through this ropse
"A line winds and energies into the lower COMMON,
whcrc Squire Tasborough with his huntsmcn.
hounds, aud merry men all, the greater part oil
them IN scarlet coats and velvet caps, We're as.
sembled, the former already triumphng over The
| MAJOR, IN the anticipated certainty Of winning
his wager. What = he exclaimed, +" do you
| think old square toes would turn out with Il insi
falling and run the Ilsquo ofdamping his drab
| CATERS Mono, Major you're done this time
cased of you're ten gumeas--I wish il bad b, en- u
| thousand
Tasborough" said tho major, quietly pu,
ting his glass to his eye, your sight is better
thnn mine, what do you make that bird 10
be, lowering along the copse - Hang me
II can Tell, replied the squire flies like
| n wounded CrOw--cHnt see for the mist
| The object ~ question was no other than the
| Alderman hat, tied down with pocket
handkerchief, and popping occasionally a.
hove The hedge he logged down the lane at
the extremity of which he presented himself
mounted on grey poney and followed by
| his servant on coach horse, bearing p large
umbrella. A general shnat, in which the
| squire voice was londesl, burst from the
whole field Mt the sight OF this grotesque mp
partition whose approach was greeted by a
/ L., 4 n It'll. 4 4
was made TO the hunsman to wind his horn,
| by way OF completing the eciat of his recep.
ton. But old Chervil who bad no idea OF n
joke that interfered with serious business,
| shook his head excIaiming, " No, not when
| we are just going 10 throw into cover, she
| may start away totherside for the four ponds
and so get among the rush beds, and keep us
| lodging in the water ali day. Ihave known
| them To do IL an hundred times"
by this timo the Alderman had come up,
mopping his chest, arms, aud long cloth gal
tiers with his handkerchief, and having spread
out his umbrella, he exclaimed, Make il II
rule 10 SOC everv thing once in my lie, Mr.
| Iasbornugh ;--nevor went hunting atore
--spnse shan't 90 now, for OF course you
wont 20 in the rnin--nn hackney coach TO
! pop into don't object 10 the country when
! the sun shines--but nothing like London in
wet weather" " NV good Sir, replied the
! Squire, nothing could DO more favorable
Ia beautiful drjazle, and just enough To
make the scent lte--but you're warm "Ay,
ay,' cried Mai. Cunningham, he'll he
warmer by the time he's in at the death. "
" No, no, Major" resumed the squire, speak.
! ing 50 as not to bo overheard, " Pm safe 9.
nongh therc, for that potbelled pony will
he blown in ten minutes, so shall only loose
| fifty, aud thRts more than the old codgcr's
worth, To take HIM as he sits umbrella
clothes, pony, CATERS and all"
The object OF these remarks now formed
the centre OF n gaping circle, the real know
ing oues twgging him property with &
| quiet sueer, or sly wink To direct one anoth
ers eyes 10 the various heresies of his APP
poiniment while few farmers assembled
in knot al a little distance, with their ray
/ ged ponies touching noses, aud dosing and
nudding nj one another, unanimously agreed
that " tor the gemman and sportsman, il
were all 10 nothing the rummest turn oui ev.
er they iced" In n few minutes n breez.
,. srrang up, the sun burst forth, the mist disap.
peared, and as fresh sportsmen rose up from
the hollow behind the ridge of the common
and stood ont in Gull relief against the blue
sky. while their horses came neighing and
paving down the slope, there were numerou.
bets a Ito the identity ol each individual, fol
a genuine son of the turf never loses the on
portnniiy OF n wager.
Do you think she'll make forthe downs2'
snid the squire, addressinga spare, elderly
half dried huutsman, with streaky patch OF
red upon either cheek, that gave him the mp.
pearanre oil a winter apple
Lord love you SIR how can you dream OF
her running smack into the wind No she II
either run upon side, or 90 right down the
wind towards Chipprnda'e, 81 the water
mills. Spread yourselves wide gentlemen
aud don't beat the bushes whore the water
lies, hpt keep the dogs higher up, or we shall
only hase u measly hare, that win keep us
crossing all DAY in the pudhes aud FLASHES
But, bark We, there's a challenge there's
Lighttoot giving tongue, who's never wrong
you had better mount, gentlemen, we shall
have her out presently Aud scarcely were
the words uttered, when out jumps fine
hare, aud scampers away over Tholley Bot.
tom--the huntsman winds his horn, The
/ whole field gives the view hOlla the hounds