1825-182G NOT HALF FAST ENOUGH. 81 



where tliey got on the line of a fresh fox, and as <jnly part 

 of the pack could be stopped by Boxall, the remainder ran 

 on till dark, and most of them did not return until the 

 next day. " Nimrod " says that Mr. Hay alone followed 

 them till dark, but he was unable to say in what direction, 

 as he did not know the country. Very few of the field 

 appear to have got away from Bowshot, as the fox made 

 many attempts to ])reak, before he finally got away, and 

 hounds then ran without a check to Edge Hill, up to 

 which ])lace Mr. F. Holland, Mr. Patrick, Mr. Dewes, Mr. 

 Seagrave, and Mr. Hornihold, with the exception of Mr. 

 Hay, were alone with the hounds. " Nimrod " and all the 

 AVarwickshire old hands were thrown out. 



There only remains one good day's sport which was 

 recorded during Mr. Hay's mastersliip. The hounds found 

 at Liglithorne Rough, and ran very fast by Chadsliunt, to 

 ground near Graydon, in half an hour ; the fox was bolted 

 by a terrier and killed. Shortly before running to ground, 

 Dalliance and Curious headed the other hounds by about 

 fifteen yards, showing their great superiority over the rest 

 in speed, and Mr. Hay said he would back them against 

 any two hounds in the kingdom. Two other foxes were 

 bolted from the same di'ain, and one of these was killed at 

 Edge Hill afi:er a run of twenty-five minutes without a 

 check, which " Hark Halloo," who describes the day's 

 sport, says was the fastest run he ever saw. It happened 

 that a well-known sportsman, named Mr. Whitwick, dined 

 with Mr. Hay on the evening before and complained of 

 the slowness of his hounds, observing, " Your hounds do 

 not go half fast enough for me, I can ride over them." 

 AVlien the fox had broken covert from Liglithorne Rough, 

 and the pack was well settled to him, Mr. Hay said to Mr. 

 AVhitwick, "Now, ride over them if you can."*" That 



* We cannot conceive anything more mortifying to the master of the hounds, the 

 good sportsman, or to the huntsman, than for them to see the heedless and injudicious 

 horsemen in the field ride amongst the hounds at any time, or press upon them 

 on a cold scent or when they have come to a check. By the former many a valuable 

 hound has been struck by a horse and disabled or killed ; and by the two latter the fox 

 has often been lost and the sport spoiled for the day. Mr. Corbet used to retaliate on 



Vol. I. G 



