HUNTING 105 



be Sprini^ficld Castle, the sent of Lord Muskerry. 

 I made sure a tired fox would make for the first 

 possible haven of escape he had met since leaving 

 cover, and although the hounds were not heading 

 direct for the domain I made straicrht for it. But 

 the last fence proved too much for the mare, who 

 landed with a souse into the field. I ran on, on 

 foot. As I was climbins: over the domain fence 

 I spied the run fox crawling along the bottom of 

 a dry ditch. Meanwhile the hounds, now throw- 

 ing their tongues well, swung round to the east 

 side of the domain. I waited where I was, never 

 doubting they would get on the line of their fox. 

 As luck would have it, they pushed another on his 

 legs, and the last I saw or heard was some two 

 couple of tail hounds going to the faint cry of 

 the pack, as they went out at the top end of the 

 domain. Very shortly, up came Charlie, humble 

 and crestfallen as he realised what the situation 

 was. With a "By God, what blinking luck!" he 

 went off on what turned out to be a hopeless 

 pursuit of the hounds, as the majority of the pack 

 were out all nioht. 



One or two other riders shortly turned up : 

 amongst them were Miss Gavin and Cecil Cliffe, 

 a brother officer. Those that did get to the end 

 of this great hunt had to leave their horses at 

 the castle for the night. I never told Charlie 



