292 THE ESSEX FOXHOUNDS. 



greasy fallows giving him a little respite. Clear of these 

 away they went again, 'Cream Gorse,' a field on the left ; 

 an upraised hat in the clear distance told his course. But 

 his merciless pursuers heeded not that signal. On they 

 raced till Bowers Gifford was reached. Into the road he 

 turned too beat to leave it. Running from scent to view, 

 the darling ladies rolled him over within one yard of Bowers 

 Gifford churchyard. Ten miles from point to point, four- 

 teen as they ran, one hour and twenty-six minutes. To 

 the astonishment of a well-satisfied field (some nags were 

 more than satisfied) the insatiable squire said he would 

 draw again, and he did too. Found instantly in Nevendon 

 Bu.shes, came away due east, and ran a 'burster,' about six 

 only with the hounds, nearly to Bovvers Church, into the 

 marshes, and ujj to Vange Creek. But the tide being 

 in, and the water very salt, could make nothing of our fox, 

 and gave it up very willingly. Twenty-five minutes — a 

 'tickler.'" 



In Mr. Offin's time, one of the best runs was 

 from Arnolds (near Mountnessing) to Beauchamp Roding, 

 in the Essex country, where hounds killed their fox in a 

 pond. A hard riding farmer, Mr. Bunter, of Cranham Hall, 

 went up to his middle into the pond to pull out the fox 

 hounds so richly deserved. Another good run was from 



