MR. THORNHILL.— 1834. 293 



jumped it. The hounds immediately returned, leaving it 

 doubtful with some whether the fox had crossed or not, and 

 away we went with beautiful running till the fox crossed 

 the Shipston road, by Broughton Village, near the Castle 

 Gardens. To those who had crossed the brook at Wickham 

 Mill, the view of the field with horsemen and hounds, on 

 the opposite bank, is said to have presented one of the 

 finest scenes imaginable. Crossing Broughton Park, the 

 fox ran over Claydon Hill, with North Newington on the 

 right, through the gorse till he crossed the Kineton road, 

 when turning short to the left, he ran with Shennington on 

 the right, close to the village of Bolscott, which he left on 

 the right. Up to this point there had been continued good 

 hunting, when we came to a check of about five mimites. 



After this he ran at a very severe pace, with Shutford 

 close on the left, and leaving his card at Shutford earths, 

 over the hills, with Epwell Village to the left, and Epwell 

 gorse on the right, till he reached Lord Northampton's 

 ponds at Compton. There a fresh fox went away in view 

 over three or four fields, with the hounds after him, when 

 they were whipped off, and taken back to kill the hunted 

 one ; about a delay of 20 minutes having thus occurred, 

 our gallant hero had, I suppose, contrived to obtain some 

 rabbit hole for the night, and he ' lives to run another da5\' 

 The time from Farnborough to Compton, was two hours 

 and 40 minutes, and from the line the fox took, we could 

 not have gone over less than 22 miles of country. What 

 became of some of the Sportsmen, who at starting took lines 

 on the right to Alscote, and on the left to Cropredy, is not 

 yet known. As for myself, all I can say is, that I never 

 wish to witness a finer day's sport, or hounds behaving 

 better ; and when next Mr. Thornhill meets at this cover, 

 ' may I be there to see.' 



