94 HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS. 



usually are ; but they are not going to hunt a 

 fox. We shall see presently what they can do. 

 Now look at the officials and their remarkably 

 splendid dress. I always admire the dress of 

 the Queen's hunt servants. It is not that I 

 have not seen many fine clothes in the course of 

 a rather long, and I trust not altogether ill-spent 

 existence. 



Suffice it to say that all Melton was there 

 with the exception of Lord Grey de Wilton (on 

 the sick list) ; all the Cottesmore Hunt ; all Mr. 

 Tailby's champions, led by himself, whilst a 

 special train brought those Quornites whose 

 lines have fallen on the Forest side. Of ladies 

 there are many. Shall we try and name them? 

 Lady Wilton, Lady Florence Dixie, Lady Grey 

 de Wilton, Mrs. Younger, Mrs. C. Chaplin, 

 Mrs. Molyneaux, Miss Elmhurst, Mrs. Feather- 

 ston Dilke, Miss Dixie, Mrs. Featherstonhaugh, 

 Misses Markham (2), Mrs. Tryon, Mrs. Henry, 

 Miss Paget, Mrs. Candy, Mrs. Stanley, Miss 

 Chaplin, and no end of others. Now there is a 

 stir in the crowd, the deer cart appears, not 

 unlike a station omnibus, barring the colour, 

 with a verderer upon the box, whose costume of 

 bright green velvet confers dignity upon the 

 otherwise almost homely-looking vehicle. After 

 the fashion of the Horse Artillery's " Hak," 

 " Action front," the deer cart presents its latter 

 end to the country, its face to the field ; the door 

 opens, and out he comes. He is by name the 

 Baron — a noted red deer. Looking with iTl- 

 concealed contempt upon the assemblage, and 

 cutting his old friend the verderer dead, the 



