160 HUNTING REMINISCENCES 



Grantham, he proved to be only a three-year-old 

 and entire, so he was passed on to a local dealer 

 for a small sum, but eventually blossomed into the 

 well-known hunter sire Berserker, by Buccaneer, 

 winner of many races. Mr. "Banker" Hardy 

 only survived his friend Mr. Heathcote two weeks, 

 never riding to hounds again after the day of the 

 accident, which completely unnerved him. 



The great day of the season occurred on January 

 20th with the lady pack from Keisby Wood, racing 

 hard to Mr. Heathcote's new covert in seven 

 minutes. A change of foxes took place in that 

 covert, and then the pack ran on to Walcott, 

 checking again owing to their fox making a sharp 

 turn before they swung round by Folkingham Big 

 Gorse, where all trace of their hunted one vanished. 

 It turned out afterwards that a coursing gentleman 

 was riding up the old Fosse grass lane hard by, 

 and his greyhounds dashed away and killed the 

 run fox. So horrified was their owner that he 

 threw the carcase into the hedge and galloped off 

 without saying anything about it. A splendid 

 hunt, to make up for the disappointment of the 

 morning, was in store for the afternoon, a record 

 one as regards pace and cross country work. 

 Folkingham Little Gorse supplied the fox, which 

 started running a few fields towards Laughton, and 

 then turned and ran close to Pointon. In sinking 

 the wind from Pointon, it was evident hounds 

 were pressing their fox, for after travelling round 

 by Horbling at a cracking pace, the fugitive was 

 glad to seek the shelter of a drain. Hounds were 



