58 MEMORIES OF THE SHIRES 



passing Burton and finally beating hounds close to 

 Wymeswould. 



On referring to my weekly contributions to the 

 County Gentleman, the Quorn appear to have had a 

 good run nearly every day they went out. On 4th 

 January they had a fine hunting run from Scraptoft, 

 and killed their fox in Gaddesby Spinney. I re- 

 collect the occasion well, as it was one of those 

 marvellous performances of Firr's that impressed all 

 those who had the pleasure of hunting with him. 

 Then on the following Monday we had two great 

 gallops, neither of which, however, finished with 

 blood. The first fox we found in Grimstone Gorse, 

 and after a very fast forty-five minutes marked 

 him to ground in Goadby Gorse. It was well for 

 this fox that the covert was not half a mile farther, 

 for he would assuredly never have saved his brush. 

 There was no ringing or twisting at the start, and 

 hounds went straight away from field to field, with 

 very few people in attendance. 



The leading lights on that occasion were Capt. 

 Smith, Mr. Alfred Brocklehurst, and " Brooksby." 

 Within the first two miles the line included three or 

 four very awkward bottoms, and these helped to 

 make the front rank the more select. The bottom 

 is the most awkward obstacle we have to encounter 

 in Leicestershire, and neither man nor horse may 

 have a weak spot in his nerves if he hopes to nego- 

 tiate it safely. A bottom is a ditch that divides a 

 little valley, and is guarded on one side by a fence. 

 The difference between a brook and a bottom is 

 that the former contains running water more or less 

 all the year round, whilst the latter is dry except 

 when the heavy rains of winter rush down the little 



