252 Mr. Ai'kwright and the Oakley. 



about thirty yards inside the forest. A very hard 

 day finished with a capital run. Hounds a long 

 way from home, had to return in the dark. 



Many people used to come for spring hunting. 

 Mr. and Mrs. Sharman, Mr. G. Higgins and 

 Miss Higgins, Miss Whitworth and her sister, 

 the Misses Higgins and Turvey, and Mr. Hill 

 from Wollaston. Masters of hounds and hunts- 

 men always came at the finish. 



Bedford has long been a sporting county, and 

 the home of the harrier for many a year. Captain 

 Browning did good service in the Oakley country 

 by keeping a good pack of hounds together. 



Mr. J. Race has killed hundreds of hares ; he 

 is a good sportsman too and a fine judge of a 

 foxhound. He had a neighbour who was very 

 good to him in finding hares and land to hunt 

 over. Mr. Race told me that he thanked his 

 friend, one day, saying how greatly obliged he 

 was to him. The reply was, " All I can say is 

 you ought to be if you are not ! " 

 ^ In old days there was another pack near 

 Bedford, the Owner of which had an only daughter 

 w^ho was passionately fond of going out with the 

 harriers. There was a young Magnate in Bedford 

 who also had a great taste for ' Currant Jelly ' ; 

 and he found out the meets and attended very 



