MR. JOHN COUPLAND 55 



title because it was by that name he was known, 

 but on this occasion we found him at Baggrave. 

 Hounds ran very fast by Carr Bridge and across 

 the Ashby valley to Thorpe Trussells. The sky 

 then clouded over and scent entirely disappeared. 

 I have no doubt in my own mind that this was the 

 same fox we found the following Friday at Barkby 

 Holt when he gave us an exceptionally good run, 

 but there was not much covert in the Prince of 

 Wales' then, which was perhaps his reason for 

 seeking fresh quarters. I remember the events of 

 the day distinctly. We had killed a fox from 

 Gaddesby after a smart scurry and then went on 

 to draw Barkby Holt. Firr asked me to watch 

 the down wind side, so that I had a good oppor- 

 tunity of seeing this extraordinary fox as he went 

 away — a big dark coloured fellow with, I believe, 

 hardly any white on his brush. It was in the 

 gorse he was lying and not in the wood, though we 

 generally speak of the whole covert as the Holt. 

 My lungs were pretty strong in those days, and 

 though I was down wind of the pack, they were all 

 out of covert before the huntsman could get round. 

 From the Holt to Large's Spinney near Loseby 

 Station is a five-mile point, and hounds never 

 checked or hesitated a second. The fox ran through 

 the Prince of Wales' covert and pursued the same 

 line he had done the previous Friday as far as Carr 

 Bridge, but he then kept to the brook-side by 

 Lowesby Hall and until he had baffled us at the 

 station. If I remember right, I think there were 

 not more than half a dozen men who were actually 

 with hounds up to this point, and they were glad 

 enough of a check as their horses could not possibly 



