144 LEAVES FROM A HUNTING DIARY 



lady first, as her horse swerved across Mr. E. l^all's big chestnut and we 

 landed at her lieels stirrup to stirrup. The Master leading up the covert 

 side and a few fields further on with the crowd shaken off, a promising run 

 nipped in the bud, not however, before four eager thrusters ■■'- at least had 

 kissed mother earth, as clear of the throng they steered for the rough fence! 

 at the bottom of the first ploughed field from the wood. 



The day was as balmy as May, but the country never rode deeper, 

 " Sooner be on the plough," said a man who two seasons back had sworn 

 by the Pytchley grass, but he was right ; for, given the rain, our ploughs 

 always ride lighter than the turf ; and so men and their fairer sisters were 

 not disposed to take too much out of their horses when they came to the 

 deep hilly covert of Galley Hill. At the Waltham end hounds found at 

 once. Plain sailing at first, we held them to the top by the green ride on 

 the right, but had to take to the wood rides as they turned sharp back (one 

 fox breaking at our feet for Monkhams), but they were on another. For 

 an instant we waited at the corner, Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Buxton and Mr. 

 Cook being a trio that got through as quickly as most with Mr. Walter 

 Buckmaster, the Master, huntsman, Mr. Avila, Major Wilson, Mr. 

 Horner, and many more, and round the covert they galloped to turn in 

 and climb to the top through the deep poached rides and emerge at the 

 Deer Park end, where they found a large number who had kept out of 

 the woods, staking their little all on a dart from this point for the Copped 

 Hall country. 



Few of those who had won their way through the woods had strength 

 of mind to resist their contagious example and make another attempt to 

 get away. The Master, however, and Major Wilson, ever on the alert, 

 could have been spotted quietly working back and none too soon, for they 

 only gained the bottom end of the covert just in time to find hounds away 

 in front of them up the lane past Monkhams in and out of the spinney at 

 the top, and who were the half dozen out of the large field who had done 

 the trick and reaped the reward of seeing hounds away over the open and 

 the big holding woods left behind ? Two names you have had, here are 

 the others. The Admiral, Mr. Avila and Mr. G. H. Lee and the hunts- 

 man, and this little band had it all to themselves as hounds making a 

 circle ran fast over the grass vale crossing the road below Broomstick 

 Hall, where Bailey came to grief, and reached Obelisk Wood checking a 

 minute. Mr. Tresham Gilbey was the first to come up on his grey ; by 

 riding the arc of the bow hounds had travelled Mr. Sworder, Mr. and Mrs. 

 Douglas Grossman, and a few more caught them as hounds came away 

 from the wood. 



Running the brook banks for some distance hounds turned up the hill 

 and the spinneys at Cobbin End, when a fox (Mr. Sworder thought the 

 hunted one) showing himself for an instant tempted many of us to dwell 

 instead of following the Master, Captain Kortright and Bailey through the 

 wood, and there was no catching them before we reached Shatter Bushes. 

 Galloping through or round this covert we hung a moment at the bottom 

 just long enough to allow us to contemplate the rails. Dr. Love's selection, 

 and see Sir Evelyn Wood, V.C., gallantly fly them, and the guest of the 

 day, the Hon. Frances Wolseley, daughter of the Commander-in-Chief, get 

 over well after an obstinate refusal ; she held a place for the rest of the run 

 right in the van, as crossing the brook again we ran straight over Warlies 



* Capt. Bruce and Mr. W. Buckmaster, two of them. 



t The same, though now cut down and bare of leaf, mentioned in the Australian's run, p. 39, 

 vol. i. — Ed. 



