22 HUNTING REMINISCENCES 



sometimes have a bagman turned down over a wide 

 river, and a second horse waiting for him on the far 

 bank, to gallop away over the vale of Whatton." 



" In November 1868, owing to the death of Lord 

 Hastings, who had held the mastership of the 

 Quorn for two seasons, Mr. John Chaworth 

 Musters succeeded ; and the season of 1868-69 

 was a very good one for scent and consequently 

 for sport. Mr. Story of Lockington used laugh- 

 ingly to say, ' It would be a pity if Mr. Musters 

 could not show sport, considering that he had three 

 huntsmen in his establishment besides himself, 

 namely, myself to hunt the high country ; Bob 

 Machin, late huntsman to the Rufford, to whip-in ; 

 and John Goddard, who, after hunting the Quorn 

 hounds and Mr. Tailby's, undertook the manage- 

 ment of the stud at Quorn.' Having hunted both 

 countries, I think the Quorn is easier to ride than 

 the Belvoir, because there are very few ditches and 

 very little grass in any of those. Since my time the 

 ox-rail has practically disappeared, a strand of wire 

 taking its place, but when the timber was up you 

 wanted a bold, well-bred horse who could extend 

 himself to get safely over. When the Quorn 

 country is wet it gets very boggy, and sucks horses 

 in owing to the nature of the soil." 



"I must tell you of a singular and terrible 

 accident which happened to my whipper-in when 

 at Quorn. His name was Onion, and he was a 

 keen promising servant. As the weather was very 

 hot in the autumn of that year, we went out with 

 hounds at three o'clock in the morning to catch 



