108 MEMORIES OF THE SHIRES 



that after making the dive he would be able to get 

 on dry ground again. 



Sport improved in December, and there were 

 several nice gallops, short, sharp and generally 

 ending with a kill. On the gth of the month the 

 Quorn ran from Curate's Gorse to Melton, a nine- 

 mile point, but unfortunately scent was never too 

 good and the pace was only moderate. The fox 

 was viewed between Melton and Welby, evidently 

 very tired, and his subsequent escape was due solely 

 to darkness. 



At the beginning of the season the ground had 

 been exceptionally dry, and then after a deluge of 

 rain there were several interruptions through frost. 

 However, there were several days, both in December 

 and January, when hounds ran fast, but no very 

 good run. In the second week of February all 

 three packs had good sport, and there was generally 

 a useful scent, which was followed by more frost 

 and snow. 



The Quorn had a seven-mile point on nth March, 

 but the fox eventually beat them in the back 

 gardens of Syston. The same pack did better the 

 following week, as after a meet at Six Hills they 

 had two good runs, in each case killing their fox. 



I remember well the 26th of the month and the 

 excellent run we had, an hour and five minutes with 

 a kill in the open. The Quorn were advertised to 

 meet at Twyford at twelve o'clock, and at eleven the 

 ground was covered with ten inches of snow. About 

 twenty minutes later the sun came out, and by 

 12.30 the ground was practically clear. The master, 

 therefore, sent out a telegram to say hounds would 

 meet at Gaddesby at one o'clock, but unfortunately 



