THE BADMINTON HUNT. 55 



line on the right of Great Wood, over 

 Thunder Brook, in which some of the field 

 indulged in the sensations of a cold bath ; 

 from thence they ran very straight to Brink- 

 worth Common, skirting the village, where 

 the hounds came to a check, enabling some 

 of the already scattered field to regain their 

 places. A very masterly cast of the Mar- 

 quis of Worcester hit off the line, which 

 they drove at a telling pace over a fine 

 wild but deep country to Somerford Com- 

 mon, in the well-known Bradon district of 

 the Vale of White Horse territory. That 

 covert did not afford any breathing time ; 

 the hounds worked through it without 

 dwelling, overpowering all surmises that 

 they had changed foxes. The next point 

 was the extreme western corner of the Red 

 Lodge coverts, which was only just touched 

 upon, as this gallant fox seemed to disdain 

 all sylvan refuges. After a short diver- 

 gence to the left, he again turned abruptly 



