220 HUNTING REMINISCENCES 



perch. It was a credit to our stiff old soil that 

 any trees were left standing ; but after such a gale 

 the country always rides better ; for wind and rain 

 Nature's hedgers and ditchers do their work 

 well. 



We waited the arrival of hounds at Aswarby on 

 November 23rd, for it was most unusual for them 

 to be after time at a meet. The reason for delay 

 on this occasion was the breakdown of the hound 

 van, so that Gillard and his whips came on with 

 the pack, riding the three horses of the team in 

 their harness, minus saddles. When business did 

 commence there was no lack of sport, for the 

 Aswarby foxes have long been noted for their 

 stoutness, and Gillard always said of them "that 

 they were the biggest he ever handled." In the 

 afternoon a fox was set going from Swarby Gorse, 

 who took us back in the direction of Aswarby, but 

 on reaching Osbournby he entered an old woman's 

 house and went upstairs. Young Frank Gillard, 

 the second whip, and Bellamy, the well-known 

 universal horse-provider, got him into a sack and 

 brought him on horseback to turn down, but he 

 beat them through an interfering terrier joining in 

 the chase. 



A good run, measuring eleven miles on the 

 map into the Cottesmore country, was recorded 

 on December 10th, after meeting at Easton Hall. 

 Hounds kept going all the way at a nice hunting 

 pace, threading several large coverts but wearing 

 their fox down, eventually killing him handsomely 

 by Exton Park. The Cottesmore had met there 



