184 • THE ESSEX FOXHOUNDS. 



Lord Rookwood writes : — 



" One remarkable run among many good ones came 

 off this year, on February 8th, when we met at 

 Thaxted. After a long two hours' run in the morning 

 from the Thaxted Lodge Plantations, in which, after much 

 slow hunting, the fox beat u^, we drew Lubberhedges at 

 2 o'clock, found and got away between Foxes Wood and 

 Bardfield Lodge for Shalford Park, then for Weathersfield, 

 and passing that place ran nearly to Stambourne ; by this 

 time, most of the horses, including" mine, were beat, but 

 Bailey struggled on upon a little horse called Chance, and 

 the hounds had to be whipped off close by Hempstead Wood 

 after two and a half hours ; the point was between twelve 

 and thirteen miles. Chance had to be left at Colonel Brise's. 

 Katinka, who afterwards died, was left at Hempstead ; 

 the whip was left out ; and, though I got Phantom back 

 to Dunmow I had to leave her there and come back in 

 a fly, whilst Bailey arrived on my second horse. Mermaid, 

 at Down Hall, and took Nell Gwynne back from there 

 to the kennels. 



"A curious incident happened on February i6th, 

 when we took away a fox from Apes Grove in the 

 Abridge country, and crossing the line of another towards 

 the end of the run, the pack flashed off on the new line 



