112 WARWICKSHIRE HUNT. 



BY TAG. 



MEET FARNBOROUGH, ABOUT 181.1. 



We met one morning at Farnborough, when the weather 

 was so foggy we could not recognize any one, even at the 

 distance of two horses' length from each other, and stood 

 by the side of the cover at Mollington for some time. 

 Several of the gentlemen were smoking their cigars, and 

 cracking their jokes, to pass away an hour or two, as it wan 

 considered impossible to hunt on such a misty day. Mr. 

 MoRANT, however, coming out for sport, appeared deter- 

 mined to have some, and recommended the Sportsmen to 

 whistle, (as sailors do at sea when they cannot discern each 

 other,) by way of caution to any one they might hear 

 approaching them. Some of the senior Gentlemen laughed 

 at the idea, and remarked the impossibility of hunting on 

 so unfavourable a day ; but were jocosely answered by Mr. 

 MoRANT, who said, ' I don't ever wish to see more than 

 twice the length of my horse before I leap j (and then 

 looking upwards, ironically observed,) any one with a keen 

 eye can see the sky through this bit of a fog. Hoicks ! 

 hoicks! have at em, my lads!' Lord Middleton, little 

 anticipating the result, after the noise which had so long 

 been made outside the covert, consented at length to draw 

 Mollington, and the hounds were thrown in. They had no 

 sooner entered, than the soul-stirring sound of ' Gone away! ' 

 roused from his lethargy and excited the oldest veteran, 

 and off they brushed, neck or nothing, after a fine dog fox. 

 The hounds kept well together at starting, followed by Mr. 

 MoRANT, and Zac, the first whip, — the other Gentlemen 

 having taken a different direction. When they reached 

 Hanwell brook, Mr. Mo rant charged it, but his horse did 

 not attempt to jump, and both of them fell souse into the 

 water, and disappeared for a short time ; on regaining the 

 land, he quickly resumed his .«eat, and caught Zac, who had 



