SEASON 1870-71 41 



kill him ! " " Oh, but they can't help doing so, he's 

 crawling about just in front of them," argued 

 Custance. " It's bad luck to ask for a brush 

 before it comes to hand," replied Frank. So it 

 proved on this occasion ; a fresh fox jumped up in 

 the huge forest, and led hounds out past Mickley 

 Wood, to the east corner of Witham. Instead of 

 entering the covert the cunning old customer ran 

 along the outside, and crossing the Great North 

 Road by North Witham, hounds were brought to 

 slow hunting, but working it out with great 

 perseverance, reached Gunby Warren and effected 

 a kill. The run lasted upwards of three hours, 

 the distance was not less than fifteen miles, and no 

 one rode more consistently than the late Duke. 



A very fast dart, for which the beautiful Belvoir 

 are so famous, happened from Ingoldsby Wood with 

 a straight-necked February fox. Taking the line 

 of coverts Boothby Little Wood, Humby and 

 Ropsley Rise, he crossed the Bridge-end Road, ran 

 past Welby, and they pulled him down in the open 

 near to Gipple, after racing for thirty-five minutes, 

 distance seven miles. Five couple of hounds, with 

 Benefit leading, got away in front of the others, 

 and the pace throughout was so great that they 

 were never caught. 



March 15th was made memorable by the presence 

 of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales on a visit to Sir 

 Frederick Johnstone at Melton Mowbray. The 

 choicest coverts of the Belvoir were reserved for the 

 occasion, namely, Coston and Newman's Gorse, but, 

 alas ! the ground was hard as iron and there was a 



