ITS KIRBY GATE. 53 



Burrough Hill immediately beyond. Hounds had just pierced 

 the contents of, and were leaving the Punchbowl as we reached 

 the summit — in a state of heat, redness, and suffocation such as 

 only a jump from summer clothing into full cold-and- 

 air-proof hunting kit can engender, when aided by a warm 

 still day and a hot horse. Fine weather nearly always 

 attends on Kirby Gate ; and so, nine times out of ten, 

 does a run. And, whether as a matter of temperature or of 

 want of condition, there is invariably more distress then ap- 

 parent among horses and men than on any other day before 

 March. Plenty of breathing-time could however be seized by 

 those who chose to stand aloof, while the chase wended an 

 intricate and dilatory way round Leesthorpe Hall and the 

 ploughs beyond. But it was quite a different thing when the 

 little spinnies of Whissendine were reached. Men, who for the 

 previous half hour had been leisurely watching from the road, 

 now suddenly woke to the fact that a new stimulus had been 

 given to the proceedings ; and buckled to for a ride. Whether 

 a fresh fox, or a freshening scent, caused the change, it is im- 

 possible to say; but there was a forward rush at once. The 

 Quorn lady pack had for long been puzzling out the line. Now 

 they handed over all difficulties to their followers, bidding them 

 keep pace if they could. In the valley below Ranksboro' there 

 was breaking of timber and rolling about — enough for a week's 

 sport. But in one unfortunate instance only did any serious 

 damage accrue. This was in the case of Mr. Herbert Praed, 

 whose ill-luck brought him the broken collarbone that annually 

 and inevitably stigmatises a Kirby Gate day. Deep ground, 

 and an hour and a half's work had besrun to tell their tale : and 

 hounds were considerably to the good as they rose the hill 

 overlooking Oakham — though a dozen men, well-mounted and 

 well be-spurred, were hard in pursuit. The riding honours of the 

 day, 1 do not hesitate to assert, belong fairly to the Rector of 

 Stonesby — a new comer and a true addition to Leicestershire. 

 He would be, and was, with hounds throughout the day ; and 

 whenever a Gordian knot had to be cut, his was the ready knife 

 to do it. The final half-hour of this long run was quite the 



