1830] ME. RUSSELL. 99 



a small gorse covert near Ladbroke, to ground near 

 Rugby. So great was the pace that the greater part of the 

 field were distanced, but nobody went better than Mr. 

 Russell himself. " Venator," wuth only the same in- 

 formation, writes a long poem about this run, which was 

 no doubt about as good as could be. 



On Thursday, December 17th, the meet was at Ufton 



Wood. 



See we the well-knowu covert's side, 



Each fav'rite hound the huntsman's pride ; 



Each friendly voice, each note, each cheer, 



Again vsdth thrilling ardour hear, 



And picture still in fancy's glow 



The wild, the madd'ning Tally-ho ! 



An hour elapsed before the fox broke covert, but, as 

 often happens, the scent was imjM'Oved by his having been 

 well bustled in the wood before going aw^ay.* The hounds 

 ran at their best pace to Whitnash Gorse, and from there 

 through Chesterton Wood to Lighthorne Rough ; from 

 thence they skirted the coverts at Compton Yerney, and 

 ran in the direction of Brickhill Gorse, but they pressed 

 the fox so hard that he turned back, and was killed at 

 Walton Wood after a run of two hours and twenty 

 minutes. A large field had assembled at the meet, but 

 very few we/e in at the death. 



The Warwickshire hounds had good sport until the 

 end of the season, without any very fine run taking place, 

 and the exertions of Boxall to show sport, together with 

 the style in w^hich the hounds were turned out, gave 

 satisfaction to every sportsman. 



At a time when all the world is run mad about fox- 

 hunting, an " Old Sportsman " remarks, I am surprised so 

 few gentlemen have learned to enjoy it rationally. The 

 fashion of the present day is hard riding, and at night, 

 when at the convi^^ial board, their only pleasure seems to 

 be in relating the exploits or disasters of their own or their 

 friends' horses, not a word about the best or the worst 



* Perhaps they got away close on his back. — W. R. V. 



