CAPTAIN WARNER'S CLOSING SEASONS 147 



was very fast, so that it is absurd to suppose one fox 

 could have accomphshed the whole journey, though 

 the one killed was too tired to struggle into Cream 

 Gorse, only two hundred yards distant. 



There was a very good gallop with the Quorn 

 which I distinctly remember, from Brooksby Spinney 

 on 17th March. A very wild morning had been 

 succeeded by a fairly quiet, though extremely cold 

 afternoon. It was getting to the time of year 

 when foxes are difficult to find, and small spinneys 

 are of necessity the most uncertain. We were by 

 no means hopeful whilst watching Capt. " Taffy " 

 Williams' small covert being drawn, and were 

 consequently jubilant when a big handsome fox 

 bounced into the open in full view of the field ; but 

 the happiest man was the covert owner. 



Hounds were away in a moment, and for fourteen 

 minutes they raced over one of the nicest bits of the 

 Quorn country, although perhaps a trifle stiff 

 except on a good horse. At the end of the burst 

 we found ourselves at Queniborough, and then came 

 two or three fields of light plough which slowed the 

 pace down, but when once across the Leicester 

 turnpike the pack commenced to run hard again. 



If I remember aright, four men were down at an 

 Oxer, for though it was only a small field every one 

 was very much on the ride. The country from 

 Syston to Rearsby station is rather intricate, and 

 takes some negotiating. Below Ratcliffe we were 

 between river and railway, but kept to the meadows 

 until reaching the aforementioned station. The 

 fox then decided to cross the Wreake, making a 

 sharp turn to the left. I happened to be with Firr, 

 and for some reason had an idea when hounds 



