CAPTAIN WARNER 103 



made amends for the numerous stoppages in the 

 previous months. 



The last Friday in March the Quorn had a very- 

 good run from Ragdale Wood — fifteen minutes at 

 top speed in the Hoby Vale and the remainder at 

 a good hunting pace. After passing Thrussington 

 village it was rather an unusual line, as the fox 

 followed the river nearly to Syston, crossing and 

 recrossing several times. Turning back by Rat- 

 cliffe, it looked rather as if the run would fizzle out, 

 but Firr persevered, and getting up to his fox in 

 Cossington Gorse, killed him in Thrussington village. 



The Belvoir on 30th March, finding a fox in 

 Newman Gorse, ran him hard for forty minutes and 

 killed him near Sysonby. The start was in the 

 direction of Garthorpe, and hounds had reached the 

 hill overlooking that hamlet before they swung to 

 the right past Freeby village. No coverts were 

 touched, and the fox did not even condescend to 

 enter Melton Spinney, but bore away to Scalford, 

 and then went on past Old Hills to his doom. 

 Those who know this country will realize that hounds 

 must have run a great pace to do it in forty minutes, 

 and it was probably the best gallop of the season. 



The Quorn had a very good run late in the 

 afternoon of the ist of April from Mr. Cradock's 

 celebrated covert, Waltham Thorns. The weather, 

 wind with a cold rain, had been all against hunting 

 during the greater part of the day ; but it began to 

 clear slightly about four o'clock. I think it must 

 have been past five when the run commenced, the 

 majority of the field having then gone home, wet and 

 miserable. As for us, I remember there were only 

 about a dozen men left, but they were all triers, and 



