94 THE WARWICKSHIRE HUNT. [1829-1830 



hounds ill hunting, it is related as follows by Mr. Yyner 

 in his " Notitia Venatica : " 



It was in Docoiubin- of tlio voar 1829, Avlieii the pack were iiudei' the 

 iiianag-euieut of that well known and excellent sportsman, Mr. Rohert Fellowes, 

 that the following incident occnrred : An afternoon fox Avas fonnd at Wliit- 

 nash Goi-se, and it l)eing a good scent, and the hounds getting away at his brush, 

 a tremendous burst over a severe country was the consequence. Pointing at 

 first for Oakley Wood, and then bending to the left, the direction taken was 

 over part of the Chesterton iuclosures and Hai'bury Field. At this point a hare 

 jumped up in \'iew of the whole pack, who were at that time driving along 

 with a breast high scent, and continued to run for at least half a mile in the 

 exact direction which had been taken by the fox. The anxiety and despair 

 depicted in their huntsman's face at this moment may l)e lietter imagined 

 than described : the pace was so great that to get at them, or attempt to stop 

 them, would have lieen impossible. Tuniing to me, who happened to be at 



that moment in a pretty good place, he exclaimed, " By , sir, they are 



running hare ! And yet," said he, pausing for a few moments, " they cannot 

 be. for old Bashful is leading." He was right in his second supjiosition, for 

 the hare, finding herself distressed, turned short across the field, and the 

 gallant pack ke])t straight forward on the line of their fox, without one single 

 hound deigning for a moment to look in which direction she had taken herself 

 off out of their way. Forty-three minutes completed this excellent run up to 

 Itchiugton Heatli, and in four more minutes the fate of the fox was sealed, aiul 

 his death proclaimed by a thrilling who-whoop. This incident, to the common 

 run of riders, might appear to be without interest ; but to me, to whom the 

 behaviour of the hounds and the manner in which they perform their work 

 are ever of the first consideration in a day's sport, it was particularly striking. 



After the middle of December the hounds did not 

 hunt on account of severe frost for two months. 



On February 13th, 1830, the hounds met at Chesterton 

 Wood, but the riding was very bad, and " Hark Forward " 

 says : On the north and east side of the fences the 

 ground still remained hard, and to leajD was highly 

 dangerous both to man and horse ; but a few of those 

 sportsmen which you will find in most countries, and who 

 know very little about hunting, were hunting mad, and 

 hunt they must, at all risk. Jack Wood took out 40-|- 

 couples of hounds to Chesterton Wood, and, as often may 

 happen after a long frost, there was a burning scent. 

 Tliree brace of foxes were soon on foot, and the hounds 

 went away at once with one of them, and, keeping well 

 together, ran without a check over Itchiugton Heath, and 

 left Harbury to the right ; and from thence our fox turned 



