490 FOX-HOUND, FOREST, AND PRAIRIE. 



were, amongst others in the front about this period, Mr. and 

 Mrs. Pender, Mr. J. Cooper, Mrs. Vaughan, Mr. Burton, Captain 

 Atherton, Messrs. R. and S. Loder, Mr. Mackenzie, Captain 

 Little (9th), &c. After leaving Claydon Village behind him, 

 their fox ran the road for quite two hundred yards in sight of 

 the huntsman, though unfortunately hounds did not catch a 

 view. He then crossed the Great Western Line, and a slight 

 check by Mollington Village gave him fresh ground — a fourth 

 and final piece of plough — out of the whole distance — causing 

 the hesitation. Mr. Mackenzie's horse was now in the condi- 

 tion already attained by many more ; but, making sure the end 

 must be at hand, he tied him up in a barn, and set forward 

 upon foot. Half a mile further Lord Annaly got a severe fall, 

 but was able to remount at once. But in spite of the sound 

 ground, and withal that lanes and roads and gates had rendered 

 such frequent assistance, progress had become a matter of 

 general difficulty. Goodall was fortunately on his galloping 

 grey, but, it may be mentioned, Mrs. Byass was riding a four- 

 year-old, and Mrs. Vaughan only a hireling. The tiny brook at 

 Mollington was not sufficient to stop them ; but the steep 

 ground beyond, as they faced the hill to Warmington, induced 

 several of the heavier weights to use their own legs to the 

 summit. Hounds then turned again down hill, sharp to the 

 right and entered the fox covert — two foxes being at this 

 period immediately in front of them. One had gone out at 

 the top of the gorse ; and was immediately followed to ground 

 at the spinney on the hilltop adjoining. Intelligence, however, 

 was brought up by Captain Longfield, that another, thoroughly 

 beaten, fox had also left the covert, by way of the double fence 

 on the lower ground. Goodall took hounds back at once ; but 

 was unable to come up with this (probably his original fox) 

 before he, too, got to ground — at Rattley upon Edgehill 

 (actually dodging past the whip to crawl into a badger earth). 

 Time, just over two hours. Among others up at, or soon after, 

 the finish, there were, I understand, Count Larische, Mrs. 



