408 FOX-HOUND, FOREST, AND PRAIRIE. 



And all England held no happier men than those mustered 

 thereon from six parishes round. 



The meet at Lower Boddington had been prolonged till 

 twelve, that the frost might relinquish the ground, while 

 Mr. Cowper's hospitality filled in the interim. Hounds, too, 

 were there — " the big pack." How closely and sharply they 

 did their work I crave leave to tell you presently. For the 

 moment it is enough to learn of what blood these well- 

 conditioned and in many instances shapely hounds are consti- 

 tuted. Several of the elder dogs are imports — the produce of 

 the Belvoir, Warwickshire, and Blankney kennels, from which 

 last (Lord Henry Bentinck's or Mr. Chaplin's strain) Lord 

 Chesham brought in a strong and most valuable addition to 

 his lady pack when, two or three years ago, Lord Lonsdale 

 sold off. Some few of these were present to-day, together with 

 a certain number of the bigger ladies of the old Bicester 

 blood — to whom the younger dog hounds are chiefly akin. 



So much for the hounds. This was no day on the flags. 

 And now we come to the announcement — the Old Customer 

 not at home. Sad indeed this. But rumour promised a fox, 

 and we were taken southward to find him, along the arrow of 

 plantation that was later to cause such confusion. Result — 

 only the passage of two hundred unwilling jumpers where 

 there was room for one at a time, to cross the said plantation. 



Now back by Boddington Gorse, to seek elsewhere — when, 

 breathless and hungry for his half-crown, a runner met the 

 Master with " A fox just gone to the spinney, my lord — not 

 five minutes since ! " The spinney so called was a clump on 

 Boddington Hill, continuing along the ridge to Priors Hard- 

 wick like a perch's comb of tall fir-trees, or as the feathers of 

 the arrow we have assumed. How often is a travelling fox 

 again seen or heard of? So we asked ourselves, to still ex- 

 pectancy and quell anticipation — till a hound opened, another 

 and fourteen couple more ! Better and better — a yell, a chorus 

 of discord from voices ahead ! Tally ho ! out he came, the very 

 rascal we had hoped to see an hour ago. 



