i8 



LEAVES FROM A HUNTING DIARV 



and to the field to keep off the grass in front of the big house, we trooped 

 past it, and before you had time to pull out your watch or complete the 

 sentence, you were racing over the grass for a start, the big dogs flying 

 on in front. In and out of the belt of trees, one more fence, and we crossed 

 the farm road and swung down the hill for the wood at the bottom. Left- 

 handed, or right, which was it to be ? in either case the furrows diagonally 

 if you would reach the wood in time not to be shut out. Round went the 

 huntsman's horse at the down hill fence parallel to the wood on the right 

 as Capt. Bruce led over, and immediately afterwards we could see the fox, 

 a great strapping yellow beggar, come leathering back over the wheat field, 

 " Let them alone ! " shouted the huntsman, for eight couple of the dogs 

 were right at his brush. Now it was a case of back, and striking the 





WM^^'t^ 



Forest Hall 



farm road a bit lower, almost close to the lodge gates — luckily an up jump, 

 or we might have gone into the wire (not Mr. Dunlop's) on the opposite 

 side. It was fairly a case of the last being first, for the road was blocked 

 up with the late division. To thread your way through these as fast as 

 you could and gallop on and jump out of the plantation was your only 

 chance of salvation. 



The Captain's bay was again flipping over the fence ; out of the wood, 

 and the furrows once again had to be taken diagonally as we steered down 

 the field for the osiers. A little knowledge may be a dangerous thing ; but 

 it came in uncommonly useful here, for exactly where hounds crossed was 

 a ford. Lower down many on the right were riding post-haste for the 

 bridge which we had so recently crossed. Once over the ford the die was 

 cast, your retreat cut off, for a hundred impatient riders were splashing 

 through it ; so doubly welcome ! ! the whimper of hounds ! in the planta- 



