156 MEMORIES OF THE SHIRES 



very considerably, as it is not an easy matter to 

 hunt hounds and control the ardour of a hard 

 riding field. 



Capell carried on the traditions of hound breed- 

 ing on the same lines as his predecessors, and I 

 think with very great success. In fact, the Belvoir 

 blood, which had always been appreciated by other 

 kennels, became in such demand that the stallion 

 hounds were used rather too freely. 



It would have been contrary to all precedent 

 to have charged a high fee for the service of the 

 best hounds ; but I thought at the time such an 

 innovation would have been of benefit to all. 



On nth November the Belvoir found a fox in 

 Burbidge's covert, and killed him at Ranksboro. 

 This made an excellent beginning for Ben Capell, 

 as it was by no means a good scent. 



There was frost at the end of December, and 

 then hunting began with the New Year. 



On i6th January the Quorn had an excellent 

 day's sport, and the most enjoyable part thereof 

 was the gallop from Gaddesby Church to an earth 

 at Thorpe Satchville. This is a line of country 

 which to my mind is ideal, every fence jumpable, 

 the enclosures the right size, and the ground gently 

 undulating, so that it is necessary to be in the same 

 field with hounds if you want to see them. 



On this particular occasion the fox had been 

 found in Cream Gorse, and circumstances had 

 obliged him to break on the Brooksby side, and he 

 had deemed it advisable to steer for Gaddesby 

 Church before turning to make his point. When, 

 however, he did turn, he never once deviated a 

 hairbreadth from the straight line, which led to 



