156 THE IMAGE OF WAR 



fallows and grass nearly as hard, by Denton and 

 Horton, till he died in the brook at Preston Deanery, 

 half the field up at the finish, consisting of the late 

 Lord Penrhyn and members of his family. This run 

 lasted just two hours. 



But the particular grind I have in my mind was 

 longer and faster than any of these, — stop, though ! 

 I am beginning at the wrong end of my story. 



Again it was a Monday, and Fawsley was the meet. 

 Now it so happened that the year, which was nearly 

 out, had been one of the wettest on record, and the 

 country rode terribly deep. The week had been one 

 of gales and rain, and the wind was still high as we 

 trotted along to covert. Fawsley, however, is con- 

 venient for the Weedon contino^ent as well as for some 

 of the Warwickshire men. Consequently the muster 

 of sportsmen and sportswomen to meet Smith and the 

 Grafton lady pack was a biggish one. Although the 

 Pytchley had been thereabouts on the previous Satur- 

 day, Sir Rainald Knightley (since raised to the Peer- 

 age) had a fox ready for us in the Fawsley Woodyard, 

 which ran first through some more of the coverts lying 

 on the steep slope of the park. 



Now mark the advisability of not knowing too 

 much. Fawsley is a meet not noted for sport, and it 

 has come to be a saying in the country that ''any 

 horse will do for Fawsley." I, however, was at 

 this time new to the district, and consequently had 

 out tivo, and those my best. Verily I had my 

 reward. 



. As they reach the hill- top the wind is in our faces, 

 and the bitches began to run hard. Through Badby 

 Wood we go, hearing a holloa on by the village. For 

 once it is a relief to get on the road — not the " 'ard 



