132 MEMORIES OF THE SHIRES 



Nottingham road ; but his many wiles were of no 

 avail, hounds knew he was sinking, and driving on 

 killed him near Holwell Mouth. One hour and 

 forty minutes the run lasted ; but it must not be 

 supposed it was a slow hunt, as most of the time 

 hounds were running very fast, and the fox must 

 have been extraordinary stout. 



About the middle of December a frost set in 

 that lasted until the end of January, and, of course, 

 cut out a large slice of the season. Although the 

 Quorn were able to hunt the previous week, there 

 was very little sport, and with the ground still hard in 

 places until 2nd February, when that pack had an 

 excellent run from Willoughby Gorse. Seventeen 

 minutes at racing pace to Widmerpool, and down 

 by the brookside towards Bunny, after which the 

 fox took a line of plough by Keyworth, and was 

 eventually killed in Kinoulton village. The pace 

 for the first seventeen minutes must have burst 

 the fox, as the remainder of the run was slow, and 

 probably no other huntsman would have overcome 

 the difficulties encountered. On the following 

 Wednesday the Belvoir had an exceptionally smart 

 gallop — twenty-two minutes from Coston covert 

 to the keeper's lodge at Freeby Wood, where the fox 

 was killed. Hounds ran first of all in the direction 

 of Stapleford, before swinging to the right and 

 rounding the shoulder of the hill on which stand the 

 belt of trees known as the Rickets. Those who 

 are familiar with the country will realize the distance 

 — I made it about seven miles — and to accomplish 

 this in twenty-two minutes meant steeplechase 

 speed all the way. If I remember right Mr. Alfred 

 Brocklehurst had the best of it, though I am nearly 



