TEE HUNTING SEASON. 171 



across country, lias fifty-five couples of splendid 

 hounds, with which he will hunt five days a week. 



The Cottesmore, of which Mr. W. Baird is now the 

 master replacing that first-rate and excellent sports- 

 man Lord Carington, whose retirement was so deeply 

 regretted meet at the well-known Greetham Inn; 

 and Neal, the persevering, hard-riding, and good- 

 tempered huntsman of this brilliant pack, will show 

 the riders the way to get over the country, should he 

 find a fox that points his head straight and faces the 

 open. He will be a good man who overrides these 

 hounds if they get well away and settle down to their 

 fox, as my experience has proved. There is little 

 doubt that the Hon. Hugh Lowther will be "all there" 

 on this the opening day ; and should any enterprising 

 stranger elect to follow him over the grass, he will be 

 a very fortunate man if he does not come to grief, for 

 it must be a very stiff flight of posts and rails, a very 

 tall bullfinch, or a wide, deep, and swift-running stream 

 that will stop that resolute rider when hounds go the 

 pace over one of the finest countries in the world. 

 Not to have met these hounds at Ranksborough Gorse, 

 not to have tried a gallop across the big grass-fields, 

 and a shy at the Whissendine, is to proclaim yourself 

 out of the running altogether, if you would be con- 

 sidered a thorough sportsman. The fixtures of Sir 

 Bache Cunard's hounds are generally rather wide of 

 Melton, but yet within reach. A galloping hack, or a 

 pair of posters from The George, will always accom- 

 plish the distance easily enough. This morning the 

 meet is at Bosworth, and a large contingent of hard- 

 riding men from Eugby and Market Harborough will 

 doubtless be present. The unfortunate dispute which 



