166 MEMORIES OF THE SHIRES 



covert, though it was extraordinary luck to hunt 

 two such straight-necked customers in one day. 

 Hounds were never touched from the find to Saxby 

 station. 



The Cottesmore had an exceptionally good 

 run from Mr. Peake's covert at Burrough on the last 

 Saturday in February, and it was over a beautiful 

 line of country. They ran out as far as Marefield 

 to begin with, then swinging left-handed, kept 

 Owston village to the right. The pace up to this 

 point had been good, but it then increased, and 

 hounds never hesitated a moment until they checked 

 in Pickwell big field. The check was only tem- 

 porary, and then the pace was maintained through 

 the Punchbowl and Burdett's covert to the Great 

 Dalby side of Gartree Hill. Here the fox turned 

 down on to the Flats and was killed close to Burton 

 Hall. The official time was, I believe, fifty-five 

 minutes. 



The Quorn scored another good run on St. 

 Patrick's Day, finding a fox in Burdett's covert, and 

 going straight away to Prior's Coppice. Hounds 

 carried the line through the latter covert without 

 dwelling a moment, and were pointing for Leigh 

 Lodge when the fox turned back into Launde 

 Park Wood, where several fresh ones brought the 

 run to an end. Except that it lacked blood at the 

 finish, this run would have been considered quite 

 first class. 



The close of the season was marked by Firr's 

 resignation, and it was to me a very sad moment 

 when we assembled to bid him farewell — sadder 

 perhaps than when a few years later we saw him 

 buried in the Httle churchyard at Quorn. Perhaps 



