CAPTAIN FORESTER TO THE WAR 201 



brilliant season ; but, truth to tell, I can remember 

 very little about it now. 



One run only has left its impression my memory, 

 and that was the occasion when the Quorn found 

 a fox in Gaddesby Square Spinney and killed 

 him near Cold Overton. It was the last day of 

 the year 1909, and the meet was at Queniborough. 

 The point was eight miles, and the time an hour 

 and fifteen minutes. It was an ideal line and an 

 almost perfect run. 



I did not enjoy it myself, for the reason that I 

 was riding an animal with limited jumping powers, 

 and never went near a fence ; but in spite of that 

 was alongside of hounds the whole way by use of 

 either roads or bridle-roads. I was thus able to 

 estimate the qualities of the run although it gave 

 me very little pleasure, except perhaps viewing 

 the fox on several occasions. 



At the time Walter Kyte was huntsman to the 

 Quorn there was a fox who lived in Queniborough 

 Spinney, and gave several good runs. It would be 

 hardly possible to imagine that this could be the 

 same ; but I had a strange feeling all through the 

 run that we were running the veteran who had 

 repeatedly beaten Kyte. The pace was only 

 moderate at the start, but it quickened up after 

 crossing the road by Barsby school, and from 

 thence I don't think hounds were touched. The 

 stream, which is known when it reaches that parish 

 as the Ashby brook, was kept on the left hand to 

 within a field of Owston village, when the fox 

 crossed, and leaving the valley went on up hill by 

 Somerby brickyard towards Knossington. 



I should have liked to have been on the back 



