246 Mr. Arkw7'ight and the Oakley. 



In the early part of his reign I had a curious 

 experience. We were on the Newport Pagnell 

 side, in the neighbourhood of Hardmead, hunting 

 a fox over the plough, when an eclipse of the sun 

 took place ; the birds went to roost, we were in 

 semi-darkness and had to grope our way about, 

 and it is puzzling to understand how we managed 

 while this state of things continued. The country 

 was strange to me ; but a few of the followers 

 and the Master advanced with the greatest 

 difficulty. 



In a very large grass field I caught sight of 

 the fox and he appeared as much puzzled as we 

 were. The hounds were in the same field with 

 him ; he then went into the next field ; I rode at 

 the fence, not a large one, but down my mare 

 went on her side, and I on the ground, it seemed 

 as if her eyes were eclipsed ! We therefore declined 

 any more jumping and the fox beat us. 



Owing to the fact of the country where I 

 hunted with the Oakley being large woods, with 

 plains and fields intervening, it is not easy to 

 write a description of the runs. If we made 

 points from Cowper's Oak to Harrold, for instance, 

 hounds would race from one wood to another, 

 and it required a good horse to keep them in 

 sight. Frequently a fox would run from the 



