THIS SIDE AND THAT 



^2>7 



scent. What could you expect ? Not finding again brought a very 

 unsatisfactory fox-hunting, but very useful condiiioning day for horses and 

 hounds, to an end. On Epping Plain the snow still lay thick as homeward 

 bound we passed it 4.45 p.m. 



This Side and That. 



The glorious uncertainty of fox-hunting has often been spoken about, 

 and as freely commented on, but never more clearly demonstrated than 

 in the case of the Essex Hounds on Saturday and Monday last. 



" On Saturday, February 6th, hounds were running all day, and 

 during the greater part of it running hard." 



" On Monday, with the exception of ten minutes in the woods, they 

 never ran at all." 



It was disappointing, as there were several out, including Mr. E. 

 Helme, Major Paget, Captain Du Cane, who rarely pay us a visit, and we 



High Easter 



wished that they had seen the dog hounds of the Essex pack at their 

 best. 



Would that I had been out at High Easter on Saturday, and so wished 

 a good many more who wandered about at North Weald on Monday 

 between 11 and 12 waiting, for the eight degrees of frost delayed hounds, 

 and listened to the glowing accounts of some of the fortunate few who had 

 seen the great day through on one horse apiece, and of others who had 

 found two horses hardly sufficient. There was no great point made by 

 hounds, and no kill took place, but we believe that it is only a huntsman 

 who looks upon a kill as the hall-mark of a sterling run. 



Mr. C. E. Ridley said it was the best day that he had had for years. 

 Mr. Ridley has hunted longer than most in the Roothings, and knows 

 what a good run means. 



