288 HUNTING REMINISCENCES 



that after meeting at Piper Hole it was the last 

 gallop from Old Hills which crowned the day. A 

 good fox led the field at a great pace nearly to 

 Scalford, turning to Melton Spinney, following the 

 brook to Welby osier beds, where he got to ground 

 with fifteen couple up out of a pack of eighteen 

 and a half. This gallop of about an hour was very 

 fast, and tailed off the field, only Mr. Gordon 

 Canning and Mr. Chaplin, jun., being up at the 

 finish. Gillard lost both his whippers-in, and rode 

 back to kennels in the dark with only seven and 

 a half couple of hounds, but all the rest found 

 their way back to kennels during the night. 



On the 17th the scene of the morning was 

 pounding across the vasty deep of fen plough-land 

 country, which carried a good holding scent, a fox 

 leading us from Aswarby domains round by Sem- 

 pringham and Helpringham, where he got to 

 ground, but, when bolted, gave another ring over 

 much the same country, beating us at the finish, 

 after a hunt of one hour and forty minutes. The 

 leaders of this fen -land hunt were two sturdy 

 yeomen, products of Lincolnshire soil Mr. Dickens, 

 riding his wonderful yellow cob, and Mr. Cecil 

 Rudkin. The run of the evening, from Spanby 

 Gorse, by Folkingham and Walcott, a fine line 

 of hunting country, to Newton, finishing at 

 Osbournby, was a far better performance, and 

 offered an excellent ride. Those of the lady 

 division who enjoyed this fine gallop were Mrs. 

 Cuthbert Bradley, the four Miss Heathcotes, and 

 Miss Laura Wilson. It will always stand out as 



