CJiarles, Third Baroii Southampton. 33 



crossing the canal Into Rothersthorpe field ; the 

 hounds then had their heads up, and no more 

 was made of him. Any yokel can get hounds' 

 heads up, but It Is more than a clever man can 

 do to get them down again. I never saw Lord 

 Southampton more annoyed, but he said very 

 little. Morgan had one good run afterwards with 

 a bag-fox from Bradden, but altogether he was 

 unsuccessful. 



At that time there was a farmer living at 

 Potcote, named Samuel Ayers,*who was a great 

 sportsman. There could not be a better fox 

 preserver, neither could anyone take more pains 

 In the matter. He was born on the Grafton 

 Estate, his father being one of the Duke's tenants, 

 who made money by breeding hunters. On a 

 small farm he kept a few brood mares, and took 

 as much trouble with and care of them as a 

 shorthorn breeder does of his young stock. Sir 

 Justinian Isham, of Lamport, was his chief cus- 

 tomer, and gave long prices for many horses. 



One Tuesday morning Mr. Ayers made a very 

 clever capture of a fox. From information he 

 received — as the policemen always say In court 

 — he mounted his pony and galloped over to 

 Farthlngstone, distant about four miles, where 

 he found two men engaged in digging out a fox 



D 



