CAPTAIN WARNER 89 



was that the butler handed round I have no idea, 

 but it appeared to put new Hfe into poor old 

 Neal, who had probably breakfasted about four 

 o'clock. 



Until that day I did not even know the Spinney 

 was called America, and it is only a very little place, 

 but being far away from roads it does not get dis- 

 turbed. I do not think we were more than half a 

 dozen, Including hunt servants, but the irresponsible 

 portion, of course, hoped for a gallop. If the cubs 

 had been there as they ought to have been, good 

 work would have been done, and probably one or 

 two killed, but there was only an old fox. The 

 spinney is on the banks of a stream, which further 

 on helps to form the noted Whissendine, and the 

 fox elected to leave on the opposite side to the 

 whip, so that he had no chance of stopping hounds ; 

 he did his best, but he was never within a field of 

 them until the run was over. It was one of the best 

 and fastest gallops I ever remember. Hounds were 

 racing for five-and-twenty minutes without the 

 semblance of a check. What fun it was ! The fox 

 followed the stream nearly to Whissendine, and 

 then swung up to the left. The leaf was still on, 

 and I have a vivid recollection of many hairy 

 obstacles at the back of Noel Arms before recrossing 

 the turnpike, but there was no time to pick and 

 choose your place. 



At the end of twenty-five minutes we found 

 ourselves at the Punchbowl, and unluckily with 

 several foxes afoot. 



Fortunately for me my horse was very fit from 

 having spent his summer in drawing a grass-cutter. 

 He was one that Mr. " Buck " Barclay gave me, 



