114 HUNTING REMINISCENCES 



thought to a memorable occasion when he rode 

 whipper-in to these hounds. " We found our fox 

 in Freeby Wood and ran round Stapleford and 

 Whissendine village, a big ring back to our start- 

 ing-point, giving us the brook to jump twice, 

 finally marking to ground in a turf drain, from 

 which we bolted and killed. I remember how 

 well Captain 'Torn' Boyce went on a good- 

 looking chestnut horse ; he was a new - comer 

 from Ireland, and the Duke of Rutland, who was 

 also out and going well, was so delighted that he 

 presented Captain Boyce with the brush and 

 that night also sent him the hunt button ! " 



On the Lincolnshire side of the Belvoir country, 

 the domains of Rauceby, under the fostering care 

 of that keen sportsman and distinguished soldier, 

 Colonel Mildmay Willson, C.B., have always held 

 the reputation of being one of the best nurseries 

 for foxes in the hunt. As a natural consequence, 

 good runs to instead of from Rauceby oftener 

 result, but February 19th saw a really brilliant 

 gallop from Cliff Hill Covert. The line taken was 

 by Rauceby Thorns away over the heath past 

 Cranwell Lodge and Lord Bristol's Plantation, 

 where hounds fairly ran into their fox a few 

 fields short of California Covert, near Fulbeck. 

 The brush was presented to Lady Florence 

 Chaplin, wife of Mr. Henry Chaplin, M.P., two 

 of the keenest and best across country, and fre- 

 quent followers of the Belvoir in spite of the 

 attractions of their own pack at Blankney. 

 Amongst the foremost division were Miss Laura 



