274 HUNTING REMINISCENCES 



tion were red-hot on the subject of fox-hunting, 

 cleverly bringing home a telling parable. 



A good spin of something over an hour from 

 Buckminster, and a ring out to Gunby Gorse, was 

 attended with much disaster. Those nearest to 

 the pack up to Crown Point were Lord Edward 

 Manners, Lord Lonsdale, Major Charles Thorold, 

 Mrs. E. Lubbock, Mr. Gordon Wood, Mr. J. 

 Brewster, and Mr. Bowman. A heavy fall in- 

 capacitated Gillard during the run, though he 

 pluckily remounted and finished ; the Rev. J. P. 

 Seabrooke and Harry Maiden also came to grief in 

 the run. The next day Maiden had to hunt the 

 hounds, and he was so badly served by his horse 

 that he took two falls in seven minutes ; however, 

 he had the satisfaction of slaying a brace of foxes, 

 besides marking one to ground. The brush of one 

 of these, an old gray fox, was presented to Sir G. 

 Whichcote, who went well on his big gray horse. 



On December 12th the Duke of Rutland cele- 

 brated his seventy-sixth birthday by joining the 

 large field that met hounds at Croxton Park, and 

 a good day's sport was experienced after a heavy 

 night's rain, which had filled the brooks and rivers 

 bank high. The first fox led the field gallantly, 

 and finished his career by drowning in the 

 river by Egerton Lodge, after he had sought 

 refuge in a greenhouse. Amongst those who had 

 the best of the good things the line of country had 

 to offer were Lord Edward Manners, Mr. G. P. 

 Evans (Master of the Cambridgeshire), Mr. Alfred 

 Brocklehurst, Mr. H. T. Barclay, Mr. V. Hemery, 



