152 Hark Away. 



tnre to lay 5 to 4 that he appreciated a cutlet, a la 

 Souhise, and a bottle of Ernest Irroy's driest and very- 

 best champagne, as much as I do on similar occa- 

 sions, when exhausted nature cries out for support ; 

 for they have a knack of doing things nicely at Rugby. 



Inquiring of mine host as to his visitors during so 

 much of the season as has yet passed, I find, amongst 

 the other gentlemen taking up their residence under 

 his roof-tree, Mr. W. N. Heysham, Avhose exertions 

 in aid of that most excellent and flourishing institu- 

 tion, the Hunt Servants' Benefit Society, are well 

 known to every M.F.H. in the United Kingdom; and 

 that Mr. Shell and Capt. Osborne have also made it 

 their resting place. And I learn that Mr. Shoolbred 

 has a good lot of horses, and goes as well as ever ; 

 that the sport has hitherto been fair, but that there 

 have been no extraordinary runs to chronicle as yet ; 

 that the scent has been indifferent, which has been 

 the case in the various counties I have visited ; that 

 the " fields " have been large, and fox-hunting more 

 popular than ever. 



In some insignificant journals, opposed more espe- 

 cially to the amusements of the upper classes, an 

 attempt has been recently made to run down our 

 national sport. The incHnation of the writers of 

 these idle diatribes is, no doubt, very strong; but, 

 fortunately, their information is as false as their 

 power of damaging our favourite amusement is weak. 

 Take, for instance, Melton, the headquarters of hunt- 

 ing ; every house and stable in that delightful place 

 is occupied ; and, as I have remarked before, the 

 numbers to be found at every fixture, as far as my 

 experience goes, have exceeded the usual bounds, at 



