Hunting Ladies. 281 



pilot a Miss Dickens, who was a member of an 

 old Northamptonshire family. I agreed to the 

 proposal on condition that the maker of it would 

 keep close at hand, and put the lady upon a good 

 horse ; both which conditions he promised to 

 fulfil. 



We made a start and the hounds ran very hard 

 indeed for about forty minutes, and killed the fox ; 

 and Miss Dickens was presented with the brush 

 after riding well all through the run. After that I 

 had several more days with her, and found out 

 that men are not the only riders to hounds. 



In the year i860, Mrs. Pilgrim, a resident in the 

 hunt, honoured me with her company, and, being 

 mounted on the best-bred Irish hunters that 

 money could buy, it was not difficult for that lady 

 to fly over the country. With no hesitation about 

 beginning, riding into a place, and keeping with 

 hounds, it gave me the greatest pleasure to pilot 

 her during fifteen seasons ; and only on three 

 occasions did I lose any time on her account. 

 Some splendid sport was enjoyed during those 

 fifteen years ; and after Mrs. Pilgrim had retired 

 from the hunting-field she remained a strict 

 preserver of foxes at Akeley. 



Many famous riders followed. The Honour- 

 able Mrs. Grosvenor (now Lady Ebury) would 



