142 THE WAEWICKSHIRE HUNT. [188(5 



headed by some men (in the canal l)ank, and van (h)wn to Sawbridge, the otlier 

 side of whidi the fivst elieek took jJaee, after running very well for about 

 forty minutes. Hit it off, and ran along the Learn side nearly to Braunston 

 Covert, but tiimed back from the canal to Willoughby Village, where we lost 

 him. Found at Ladbroke, ran rather a pretty ring nearly to Wormleighton. 

 rind gave it up at Radbourne. 



Last day's hunting on April 9th. 



Hunted on 103 days ; killed sixty-six foxes ; ran forty to ground. Not 

 a fine season's spoi-t. but the l)est of it was in the Shuckburgh country. There 

 was a good deal of frost. 



Captain David Beatty came to Rugby about this time 

 from Clieshire. As everyone knows he is a splendid horse- 

 man, with a wonderful quick eye for hounds, and he sailed 

 over the wide pastures of Noi-thamptonshire and Warwick- 

 shire with as great ease as he negotiated the more cramped 

 country of Cheshire. Captain Smitli told me a good story 

 about him. He mounted one of his stable boys on a four- 

 year-old just to show him hounds. By some chance only 

 this boy and the first whip got away. They ran like 

 distracti(m for twenty minutes, and the whip got down. 

 At the first check, the first to arrive was Captain Beatty, 

 w4th his horse's tail shaking. At this moment the hounds 

 hit it oif. ^Master and man came to a big bullfinch, 

 with a gap made up with a plough, a rail, some loose 

 thorns, and several other miscellaneous articles. " Gret off 

 Jack, and pull it down," says the Captain. The boy rides 

 at it, and flies the whole lot, and in the air looks back at 

 master with these words : " Not for the Lord Liftinant." 

 They had, horse and boy, never been out hunting before. 



This reminds me of why Mr. Holland Corbett engaged 

 Coffey, and how a faithful connection was formed which 

 will last for life. Coffey was then riding second horse for 

 Captain Henry Wombwell, at Melton, and they found a fox 

 at Barkby Holt, and ran down over the brook, and very fast 

 for about twenty minutes, till they threw up in a turnip field 

 Coffey came up to Mr. Corbett, and said : " Wasn't that 

 s])lendid, sorr, and did ye see the Captain in the brook ; me 

 little horse, he took it like a bird." Mr. Holland Corbett 

 determined to engage him whenever he could. We have 

 no space for the numerous anecdotes told of Coffey and the 



