118 MEMORIES OF THE SHIRES 



the amateur were determined not to be beat, and 

 persevered for the best part of an hour, when 

 they discovered their fox in a double hedgerow. 

 Two very happy men then escorted the pack to 

 kennels. 



Again this season the Prince of Wales' birthday 

 was celebrated by a good gallop from the covert 

 named after him at Baggrave, which is a curious 

 coincidence, as the master never thought of it when 

 arranging meets. Hounds raced across the grass to 

 Thorpe Trussels, and, though a large field was out, 

 no one was very near them. 



There was an interval of bad scenting days, and 

 then, on 23rd November, the Cottesmore had a 

 very smart ring from Stapleford, killing their fox 

 in the open. 



This brings me to the 23rd December, when the 

 Quorn met at Wymeswould, and the run of that day 

 was the best I have ever seen. It was my good 

 fortune to be riding an exceptionally stout horse, 

 and was therefore able to keep going when others 

 were obliged to drop out. However good a run 

 may be, you cannot be expected to go into ec- 

 stasies over a performance you have not seen, and 

 one is rather liable to add colour to a hunt in which 

 you have held a good position. Even after making 

 allowances for this, I still hold the opinion that it 

 was the finest run that has happened within my 

 experience. More than thirty years have elapsed 

 since that eventful day, but every incident is im- 

 printed on my memory — from the finding of the fox 

 to the finish in the dark. I also number this as the 

 best scenting day within my recollection. In proof 

 of this I witnessed a curious instance, the like of 



