82 MEMORIES OF THE SHIRES 



across the open again for Shoby village. Another 

 second or two and fox and hounds are rolling and 

 tumbling together in the ditch by the roadside. 



" To run a fox to death in thirty minutes is a 

 creditable performance, but particularly so in this 

 case when there was only half a good scent. Mr. 

 Simpkin, junior, on his grey pony was, as usual, 

 well to the fore throughout ; it is difficult to say 

 which is the most wonderful — the pony or the 

 rider." 



The Belvoir were out of luck in the earlier part 

 of the season, but they commenced getting their 

 fair share of sport after the January frost and snow. 

 On Wednesday, 17th February, they had a brilHant 

 burst from Coston covert to Woodwell Head, where 

 the fox managed to slip away unseen, and the run 

 faded out at Saxby. Then they went on to draw 

 Newman's Gorse, found and ran very fast to Goadby 

 by Bullamore, from whence it was slow hunting to 

 Harby Hills. Here most of the field were hopelessly 

 left as the pack slipped down into the vale and raced 

 away at top speed with only about half a dozen 

 men in attendance. The canal between Hose and 

 Harby was too much for a tired fox, and he 

 turned back for the hills, to be eventually killed 

 near Eastwell. 



The following Saturday the same pack had a 

 still better day. Fifty sterling minutes in the best 

 of the vale with hounds racing, and it takes a good 

 horse to live with the Belvoir when there is a scent. 

 It was certainly only a ring, but it was over a perfect 

 line, and if we had not landed back at Holwell 

 Mouth with its unmistakable features, the majority 

 would never have realized it was a circle. Here is 



