PARNDON WOODS 35 



That so wary a fox was headed didn't surprise us. What a scent in covert 

 as hounds came back on his hne on excellent terms ! In full view of the 

 lot of us he broke across the ploughed field that divides the woods — a dark 

 brown wir}' dog fox — a fox that we have run before. 



Not a man spoke, not a lady whispered ; merely a hand or two held up, 

 and the Master's horn came to his lips as the leading hounds broke covert. 

 Away now in the direction of Latton, and the two gaps to the road were 

 full to overflowing. Down to the corner of the ploughed field, in the 

 direction of Netteswell, rode some of the foremost who extricated them- 

 selves from the woods. The majority did not attempt to nick in with the 

 hounds until they had left the farm and Rye Hill Common behind. Better 

 if they had held straight on to Latton with young Mr. Hart and saved 





Parndon Wood 



their nags. Not a man who cut across those first three or four ploughed 

 fields reached the Springs outside Latton with hounds. 



Messrs. E. Ball and G. Sewell, who turned into the country beyond the 

 common, were the first to snick them as they raced up the long spinney by 

 the side of the lane to Latton Priory, and would have held an easy lead 

 had not hounds thrown up just short of the farm. A capital cast of Bailey's 

 to the right set us all going again, and hounds ran merrily over the grass 

 to the Thornwood Common road, where a thick fence confronted us. 

 " Where can you get over ? " was the cry, and full gallop down the fence 

 went everyone, headed by Mr. E. Ball, but they wheeled round lihe a lot 

 of vultures when someone spied a zveak place. 



Just a little hover on the wheat before they picked it up again. Crossing 

 the road below Mr. Nathan's, and over Mr. Symes's grass, a hat up in 

 the direction of the Forest (Mr. Gerald Buxton's, he was riding home when 

 the chase came galloping back on his heels) showed, what we had thought 

 all along, that our fox meant the Forest. Running up towards Wintry 



