18 HUNTING AND SPORTING NOTES. 



meandering, it will point a moral to our upheaving 

 passions, and aid us to fall back into our wonted paths, 

 of usefulness and every-day life. Borderer can stir the 

 fire, but he likes it extinguished better. 



SIXTH AND SEVENTH WEEKS, 

 November 30th to December 12th. 



I was faithless last w^eek owing to unavoidable- 

 circumstances, dear Eddowes, and whether your readers- 

 will be indulgent enough to forgive the loss of their 

 usual weekly dose remains to be seen. A naughty bo^ 

 is willing to promise anything that may cause him to^ 

 escape punishment, and I will call to my aid the old 

 Eton rule by pleading " Eirst fault." 



December the 1st, oddly enough, shone brilliantly on the- 

 two old-fashioned hunts of the county — the Wheatland 

 and United Pack. Mr. Summers, with the former, is- 

 winning his way gallantly. He found his pack and 

 country at sixes and sevens. Difficulties had to be 

 encountered that had shipwrecked more than one aspirant,, 

 but he has thus far shown himself equal to emergencies^ 

 and a decided sportsman. I can assure him that there 

 is no reason >vhy he should not bring back the palmy days- 

 that I recollect of old, when Mr. Baker, before he w^ent into 

 Warwickshire, made the Wheatland country famous in 

 the West Midlands. On this memorable Tuesday the 

 meet was at Faintree Hall. A fox was found in a gorse- 

 at Neenton, that if he really w^as the hero of all that followed, 

 must have been an extraordinary example of stoutness.. 

 He first of all made Chetton his point, and then bearing 

 away to the south, chose a fine wild line, with very little 

 plough in it, and plenty of dingles and obstacles in it 

 until he reached Stottesden, and then skirting Kinlet, 

 eventually beat his enemies in the interminable^ 

 fastnesses of Bewdley Forest. A glance at the map will 

 show that this run could scarcely have been less than a 

 twelve-mile point, and at times the pace was good^ 



