SEASON 1885-86 197 



I had the honour to enter to hounds, and I 

 painted him, as I thought, fairly well, but he ex- 

 pressed himself disappointed at not being blooded 

 all over his face," was the remark made in Gillard's 

 diary after performing the Bapteme de chasse for 

 " Our Billy of Belvoir," as the late Lord William 

 Manners was affectionately termed by his many 

 hunting friends. 



The red mark of excellence stands against the 

 doings of February 17th, when hounds assembled at 

 Croxton Park, the day being fine with a keen north- 

 east wind blowing. "Sport commenced with a 

 sharp ring from Coston Covert, but the second time 

 away we ran at a rattling pace by Wymondham 

 Wind Mill to Rickett's Covert, where we changed. 

 Our run fox was viewed by Major Candy, going 

 away with one hound, Niobe, in pursuit. After 

 slow hunting, and difficulties from fresh foxes 

 jumping up, we ran very hard by Waltham Thorns, 

 going round by Goadby, Bullmore, and Harby Hills. 

 Here I viewed him running along the bank of the 

 canal, and on reaching Harby he ran a ring to East- 

 well, and killed by the railway after a good hunt 

 of one hour and twenty minutes. Those I noticed 

 going best were Captain Arthur Smith, Lord Hope- 

 toun, Mr. Basil Cochrane, the Rev. J. P. Seabrooke 

 and Mrs. Candy." Of these, Mr. Cochrane hunted 

 up to within four months of his death, which occurred 

 at the ripe age of seventy-eight, in April 1896. A 

 bold determined horseman, he delighted to follow 

 Tom Firr and Frank Gillard wherever they went, 

 often telling them that he preferred this to taking a 



