11873 A FIELD OF THREE. 337 



towards Marstou ; fox headed and lost. Drew tlie Oaks, Holt, aud Watts 

 Gorse blank. Found in Bullet Hill; fox lieaded at Knowle End; back 

 alono- Edg-e Hill beyond Sun Rising, aud over the hill by Bacclius Farm, 

 Berridge's Buildings, across Ratley Bottom, by Madgbury Cami) Road, 

 across the Valley to Avon Dassett glebe farm, by Farnborough and Worm- 

 leighton Reservoir, up to Thursby's house at Wormleigliton Village, under a 

 faggot stack. A very good run of an lioiir and forty minutes from find to 

 finish, aiul seven or eight miles straight. Rode Sunshine. 



January llth, Farnhorouyh. — Drew the home coverts and Harbages 

 blank. Found a i-egular Burton Hill fox in Perry's Gorse, aud, after 

 running about the hills for ueai'ly an hour, killed in Knibb's Gorse. Found 

 again in Bawcutt's Covert, ran by Knightcote, Watergall, Scriven's House, 

 and Wormleigliton, to the hill above Priors Hardwiek, and killed close to 

 Stonetou. A A^ery good half hour. Rode Clashmore. 



January 27fh, 1873, Ufton Wood. — Rode Zinu-i.* Found at once in the 

 wood, but could not get the body of the pack away on at all good terms with 

 their fox. There was also some hesitation ihrough want of confidence in the 

 holloa away ; hunted slowly througli the deep plough and meadows by the 

 Canal, across the Fosse Road, up the hill towards Radford, aud gave it up. 

 Found again in Ufton Wood; went away at the village, end of it, soon 

 striking the same line we ran before, and following it to the road near 

 Radford, thence across the railway and Whitnash Field, by Hogbrook Farm, 

 and thence to the left towards Chesterton Wood, up the Fosse Road, short to 

 the left, back to Whitnash Bushes and the railway, about which w^e dodged aud 

 lost much time from passing trains ; eventually followed his line close up to 

 Harbury Village, and across Chesterton Field nearly to the church, and again 

 gave up. Found a third fox in Itchingtou Holt, ran by Gaydou Hill, througli 

 Bawcutt's Covert to Knightcote, to ground in a drain. The second was a 

 good hunting run. 



February 11th, 1873, Mitford Bridge. — Rode Sunshine. A very 

 remarkable day's hunting. Wlien we moved off from the meet the field 

 consisted of four servants. Colonel Skipwith, and me. Before we got to 

 Wolf ord Wood Sir Charles Mordaunt caught us. We found immediately, aud 

 went away straight, Sir Charles Mordaunt, Charles Orvis the huntsman, and 

 myself alone Avitli them ; we had a pretty hunting run of about forty-five 

 minutes close up to Eveulode Mains, then to the left by Brook End, as if for 

 Barton Grove, again to the left, leaving Barton Village on the right, to ground 

 in a drain towards Wolford Wood. While getting him out, Skipwith, 

 Cowan, Walker, and the second whip came np. Major Bird aud his 

 daugliterf came out, aud this made up the whole field for the day. We found 

 again in the gorse outside the wood, ran through the wood, to ground in one 

 of the spinneys. I then came home. 



Although I did not enter the account of tliis day in my 



* It was a most appropriate name. 



t Afterwards Mrs. Walter Verney. Major R. Wilberforce Bird, of Barton House, 

 was a fine horseman aud a very determined rkler. He hunted chiefly with the Heythrop. 

 He first learned his hunting under old Davis, the Queen's huntsman, but he was twenty- 

 one years in India, and had forgotten a good deal of the science of it. His mahi idea of 

 getting to hounds was to ride straight after them, whatever came in the way, and not 

 such a bad idea either. Like his much younger neighbour, Lord Campei'down, he knew 

 nofear.— W. E. V. 



Vol. I. Z 



