EARLY DAYS IN LEICESTERSHIRE 25 



windmill — a moss-grown millstone now marks the 

 spot — on the brow above Burdett's covert, and here 

 the fox turned right-handed. This was the only- 

 turn, and practically the only check. The farther 

 the hounds ran, the faster they went, and on leaving 

 Tilton to the right they began to forge ahead of 

 their field, and though a few men were just able to 

 keep them in sight, no one was really near them 

 when they reached Vowes Gorse. The fox, I believe, 

 was killed in the covert. Lord Gardner remarked 

 to my father at the time, " I did not believe before 

 that hounds could beat horses." I should think it 

 was quite possible that hounds were neither as fast 

 or as fit as they are to-day ; if they had been it 

 would not have seemed wonderful for them to out- 

 stay horses, though it must not be forgotten that 

 nearly every one rode clean-bred ones in Leicester- 

 shire. 



Now that it is too late, I wish I had drawn 

 further on the same storehouse and had jotted down 

 a few notes, but all I can remember now are scraps 

 without head or tail. Mr. Little Gilmour, Lord 

 Gardner and Lord Wilton were contemporaries of 

 my father's, and were three of the best men who 

 visited Melton ; but the honour of the county was 

 worthily upheld by Mr. Cheney of Gaddesby, Mr. 

 Tom Heycock of Owston, and the Rev. John Wilkin- 

 son of South Croxton. Of course, during the years 

 my father hunted, Melton saw many fresh faces, 

 but though some shone brilliantly for a time it 

 was very seldom their light lasted longer than a 

 season. 



Lord Wilton was one of the quickest men to 

 hounds ; but he again was, I think, another of the 



