88 HUNTING REMINISCENCES 



sportsmen were passing away, and the present 

 fathers of the hunt were winning their spurs over 

 the fields of Leicestershire. The fashion then with 

 the sturdy yeomen of his Grace's kingdom was to 

 walk about in high boots with brown tops from 

 one week's end to the other, in the same way 

 that the typical John Bull is represented to 

 us to-day. Two of the last of this race were 

 Mr. Wood of Market Overton and Mr. John 

 Ashbourne who lived near Croxton, both first- 

 class sportsmen. Gillard tells a story of the latter 

 at the time he whipped -in to Cooper. It 

 was the spring of the year, and Mr. Ashbourne 

 asked the Duke of Rutland and Lord Forester to 

 look inside his barn to see a long string of lambs 

 hanging up. " Well, what has happened to them ? " 

 asked Lord Forester. " I only want to show you, 

 my lord, what a good time the foxes have had, not 

 to complain about it ! " replied Mr. Ashbourne. 

 " Don't be too sure that it is our foxes ! " went on 

 Lord Forester. "Draw a waggon into your field 

 to-night and watch with your men. If a fox 

 comes shoot, for a lamb-stealing fox ought not to 

 live. Shoot him or whatever comes ! " The plan 

 was carried out that night ; the marauder appeared 

 at the lamb's pen, the shepherd fired, and was 

 much surprised to find that he had killed no fox, 

 but his own thieving dog. 



The leader at Melton was Thomas, Earl of 

 Wilton, one of the last of the old school of 

 aristocrats ; and Egerton Lodge, the abode of 

 hospitality when once the threshold was passed, 



