i8o REMINISCENCES OF 



" Friday, Quorn. Great Dalby. Elmhirst gave 

 me a mount on a capital horse. We ran fast and 

 well for about thirty minutes, and then hunted in 

 the Belvoir country among a host of foxes for many 

 hours. Had six miles back to Burdett's cover and 

 a bad fox over a deep country ; got a good bucket- 

 ing and lost him. ' Croppy ' was out, Brocklehurst, 

 Chandos-Pole, Duke of Portland, and a big field 

 near 200. Yesterday, Cottesmore, Beaumont Lodge ; 

 ' Congress ' first horse ; ' Peppercorn,' Baird's, second, 

 a real good one. ' Congress ' is a nailer, he is very 

 fit, goes the pace, and does not make much noise. 

 We came to a brook ; the fellows all went right and 

 left for better places, and most in and out. I went 

 straight at it and jumped it well. He did not quite 

 land his hind legs and dropped on his knees, but 

 never lost his balance, and recovered all right. I 

 only rode him while hounds were running, as Baird's 

 horse walked, which he would not. 



" Baird is a capital Master and the whole thing 

 well done and workmanlike. He don't say much, 

 but he is very kind and thoughtful. In the middle 

 of the day, as he trotted past me, he said, ' You had 

 better send your other horse home,' so he got a 

 short day. 



"This is a nice place and very comfortable. 

 Hugh Lowther and Lady Grace dined here last 

 night and Dick Tryon and his wife the night before. 

 We have just come back from church in Oakham. 

 It has become a little Melton and is full of hunting 

 men. There are six degrees of frost this morning ; 



