84 HUNTING REMINISCENCES 



of his limbs. When Miss Peacock's garden was 

 reached at Sleaford, Frank was on foot helping 

 hounds to discover the whereabouts of their fox, 

 which had vanished amongst the out-buildings. 

 Hearing muffled sounds and a great splashing, he 

 found Dutiful worrying the fox single-handed in 

 the brewing-copper. One of the horses ridden by 

 the huntsman on this day was a five-year-old bay 

 mare Primrose, the property of Mr. Tom Oliver 

 of Walcott, a pair of fifteen stone blood ones, own 

 brother and sister, bred by him, being on price to 

 the Duke for 700. However, the deal did not 

 come off, and the horses subsequently went for a 

 much lower figure elsewhere. In those days Mr. 

 Oliver was flourishing ; for they were the prosperous 

 days of farming, and he had a stable full ; even 

 to-day, in spite of hard times, the spirit of the 

 chase is not quenched within him, for he is to be 

 seen on foot following the hounds, leading a 

 couple of varmint -looking terriers ready for any 

 emergency. 



Towards the end of the season, when hounds 

 were running in Belvoir woods, a vixen was viewed 

 carrying a cub in her mouth, and the pack were 

 promptly stopped. On another occasion a hunted 

 fox was seen by Gillard to sit down and extract 

 a thorn from his foot, as if he cared nothing for 

 danger ; but instances of vulpine cunning are 

 so numerous and well known. 



The season's sport concluded with a good day 

 in Leicestershire, April 12th, which we reproduce 

 from Frank's own diary. " Owing to a heavy 



