172 MEMORIES OF THE SHIRES 



would certainly have caught him in a few more 

 minutes. 



The Quorn run of 19th January from Ashby 

 Pastures to Grimstone village, where they killed 

 their fox, is a performance that it would be hard 

 to beat. I had forgotten that this run belonged 

 to the season in which the much criticized Kyte 

 carried the horn, and looking back now I come 

 to the conclusion that it was one of the best seasons 

 within my recollection. 



The fox from Ashby Pastures deserved the 

 honours of that day, for he went boldly across the 

 middle of every field, never touched a covert, and 

 after crossing ten different parishes yielded up 

 his brush when he could go no farther. On the 

 following Friday the same pack had another good 

 run, but did not kill their fox. They had been 

 running a twisting fox from Barkby-Holt for some 

 time, and were expecting every moment to kill 

 him, when they struck the line of a cunning old 

 customer who lived in Queniborough Spinney. 

 Hounds then ran very fast over a beautiful country, 

 and after completing an eight-mile point were 

 stopped between Owston and Knossington. 



The fastest gallop of the month was with the 

 Cottesmore, when they ran from Berry Gorse to 

 Somerby. 



Here I come to 24th February when the Cottes- 

 more had one of the season's best runs. They raced 

 their fox from the Punchbowl to Owston Wood, 

 drove him through the length of the wood and out 

 over Whatborough Hill, then swinging back to 

 the right killed him in the Lake Spinney. Perhaps 

 the most enjoyable part was the gallop to Owston 



