HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS. 21 



think there are," said the boy. " Why, father 

 was walking by the brook on Sunday and up 

 jumped the greatest old fox ever you see — and 

 father hadn't got a stick, nor yet a gun ! ! " 



In March, 1889 (excepting the King 

 William), we had one of the best runs known 

 with the Essex Union. We found in wood, 

 raced away through Noke Wood, by Fanton 

 Hall, Squeaking Boys' Lane, nearly to Kingsley 

 Wood, where the fox was headed ; turned by 

 North Benfleet to Nevendon Bushes, away to 

 the back of Pitsea, over Timber Log Lane as 

 if making for Laindon Hills ; down to the back 

 of the Fortune of War, over the road, and away 

 to Lady Springs ; up Bottledown Hill, and 

 finally lost him near Little Burstead Church. 

 There was barely a check during the whole time, 

 and the pace was killing. You had no time to 

 select your places. One man jumped into a 

 gravel pit, but I don't think he was the worse for 

 it ; in any case, there was no time to enquire. 

 There are very few of us left in the country who 

 rode through the run that day. One man still 

 goes as well as ever ; I shall never forget seeing 

 him race down a field at the start, his horse, 

 called Nebuchadnezzar, quite the master of the 

 situation. All the first part of the run the man 

 had a very rough time of it. Dr. Marshall, 

 Mr. Gardiner and Charles Tabor as usual show- 

 ing us the best way to go, and how to get there 

 quickest. When it was all over, we had to face 

 a long ride home on tired horses, most of them 

 as stiff as pokers. Besides that, it was a bitter 

 cold day to start, and to add to our trials snow 



