THE BLUE COVERT BURST. 317 



selves at Lamport, marvelling bow road and fallow could honour 

 scent in such lively fashion. For the very first time in this 

 incongruous season, the tillage land was soft and holding — and 

 just when breath was badly needed (twenty-six minutes from 

 the start). Our fox was on view as he left the corner of Lam- 

 port Spinney; but Goodall was unmoved to touch hounds in. 

 steady cry. They ran on as hotly over the dirt as they had 

 over the greensward ; and in this manner were quickly over the 

 Brixworth and Lamport road, to plunge into the valley beneath 

 — where the fences are double and riding must be aided by 

 knowledge of ground. A few men took a first double in their 

 stride. A Meltonian, Mr. Murietta, took a second with similar 

 flippancy. Knowledge went to the left. Chance went to the 

 right — and the latter heading had been left in sorry plight, but 

 for Mr. Foster's exposition of a possible on-and-off at a drinking 

 place (where bricks and mortar had encroached on the brook). 

 There was a further alternative, I was led to believe — but as. 

 this involved a plunge into an ash spinney and a horse's head 

 forked helplessly between the young uprights, the plan recom- 

 mended itself but very slenderly to those invited. Across a 

 quarry tramway, doAvn to the railway side, along it nearly to 

 Spratton Station (this the farthest point) — upwards again to- 

 Brixworth ; tulto-ivhoop ! in a timber yard. Such was the 

 finish to as staunch and swift a hound-run as ever brought a 

 good fox to book. You can't put it quite level with the 

 Braunston gallop (the peer of which we shall seldom see) ; for 

 it was neither so straight nor over such exceptional ground. 

 But it was a great and grand instance of the power of hounds, 

 on a scenting day. Horses had done their best — and were in a 

 state to do little more : and a happier — or hotter — lot of people 

 never pulled up at a worry. If steaming horses and streaming 

 faces be any criterion of work, surely the severity of the chase 

 was amply and visibly proven. And now I must disentangle 

 myself — there were ladies up, and they looked cool and collected 

 as happiness would let them. Chief among them were Mrs. 

 Garnett, Miss Czarikov, Mrs. Tabor, and Miss Naylor. Space I 



