CAPTAIN WARNER 97 



remember hounds had it all to themselves for the last 

 few fields to Brannstone village. 



The run did not start until about three o'clock, 

 and for the first half-hour hounds could only hunt, 

 so that by the time we reached Oakham the fox had 

 established a long lead ; but Neal allowed his pack 

 to work it out for themselves, and they gradually 

 increased their pace. 



It was somewhere between Lady Wood and 

 Knossington that horses were asked to gallop fast. 

 From that point up to Ridlington there was never 

 a chance of easing up or drawing rein, and if you 

 know the country you will realize there is not a 

 more severe line in Leicestershire. According to 

 my account, I estimated that though it was only a 

 five-mile point, hounds must have covered at least 

 fifteen. 



These are items I have chosen haphazard from 

 the November records of a season that was sup- 

 posed to be only moderate, and each month brought 

 some good gallops. Early in December the Quorn 

 had an excellent hunting run from the patch of 

 gorse outside the Coplow, and though they ran 

 into the Cottesmore woodlands with several fresh 

 foxes afoot, they stuck to the hunted one, and 

 finally killed him in Brown's Wood. It was not a 

 pleasant run to ride, as from the first the fox chose 

 that rugged hillside which leads to Large's Spinney, 

 and then after leaving Tilton, we became swallowed 

 in the chain of woods. It was another triumph 

 for Firr, and showed that his skill was as good in 

 woodland as it was in the open. 



Near the end of December there was a very fast 

 scurry from Hose Thorns to Piper Hole Gorse — 

 7 



