CRICK AND KIL WORTH. 291 



of these little Pytchley Wednesdays. And that of this week 

 ought, by all custom, to have been, as the " Farmer's Boy," the 

 biggest of them all. But there were plenty, and to spare, who 

 would ride the country, and do justice and credit to the chosen 

 ground of the old Grand Military. I think the day showed 

 that as hard a field was mustered as ever revelled in pace and 

 good grass. Here are a few names jotted hastily and at 

 random — which at all events will serve in some small degree 

 to show how the field was leavened. The Master (Mr. H. H. 

 Langham), Mr. Lort Philips, Mr. and Mrs. Cross, Mr. and Mrs. 

 James, Mr. and Mrs. Graham, Mr. and Miss Holland, Mr. and 

 Miss De Trafford, Mrs. Dalgleish, Mrs. Byass, Miss Hargreaves, 

 Mrs. Jones, Miss Podmore, Miss Darby, Generals Tower, 

 Magennis, Rattray, Lords Braye, Erskine, Henry Paulet, 

 Captains Soames, Middleton, Beatty, Fawcett, Wheeler, Riddell, 

 C. Fitzwilliam, Messrs. F. Langham, Wroughton, Logan, 

 G. Cunard, Jameson, Mills (2), Tollemache, Scott, Pender, 

 Muntz, C. Rose, Powell, Stirling-Stuart, SherifTe, Craven, 

 Adamthwaite, Cochrane, Mackenzie, Hazlehunt, Manning, Ford, 

 Darby, Fabling, Atterbury, Elkin, &c. 



We stood upwind at Crick ; and stood for long without 

 hearing whimper or whisper of a find. We grew almost tired 

 of being anxious, and became gradually careless of the fact that 

 fox, if there was one, might take hounds a mile awav, on two 

 sides of the covert, before we could be aware of his going. But 

 obliging Reynard preferred to face the wind ; and broke across 

 our front for Hilmorton Covert — his rashness probably costing 

 his life. Hounds were quick away — men even more so. 

 And the old brief tale was again unfolded — as bright and 

 sparkling as ever. Crick to Lilbourne, by way of Hilmorton 

 Gorse and the Old Military Course — the prettiest and most 

 perfect trifle to be found in the green Midlands. For 'tis rare 

 scenting ground, as flat as a billiard table, and everywhere 

 fenced as if for chasing. But the very second hedge of to-day 

 hid a chasm under its right corner that none, I think, would 

 have jumped had they known of its width. The Master's 



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