THE FORTUNATE FEW 203 



dwindled down to about five-and-twenty, when, about 4 p.m., the order 

 was given for an advance on " Tattle Bushes." Here they found a fox 

 at once ; that there was a ravishing scent was apparent the moment hounds 

 came away at the top end and Nasing side of the covert. The huntsman 

 inside the wood could never get to the head of affairs before Pinnacles 

 was reached, after traversing a most intricate country. Running close up 

 to JNIerryweather's Farm, the fox doubled back, and running close to 

 Roydon, a lot of hounds were left behind, and a good many of their 

 followers too, through high banks, narrow lanes, and a deep bog. 



When hounds are going the pace there is no time to bring a stirrup 

 iron into action on an obstinate lock sufficiently quick to make up for 

 lost time, and catch the beauties fleeting on in front. Better, my friend 

 (you rubbed that twenty-five minutes in going home), had you quickly 

 followed ^lessrs. Evans and Sewell over the two fences, for they and three 



Mark Hall Wood 



others — lucky mortals — were the only ones with hounds to Pinnacles. 

 Here, however, most of them got up — the Roydon road proving a good 

 friend to the rearguard — and running the meadows for Parndon Church, 

 pulled their fox down under its shadows, and sent a merry little band 

 home in a very contented frame of mind. A few of their names if you will 

 — Messrs. Ball, Gregory, Fitch, Sewell (2), Evans, Tilling, Dawson, 

 Weston Crocker, F. Green, one of the ?^Iasters, ]\Ir. Arkwright, one of 

 the Secretaries, iNIr. Bevan. 



"Wheel of Fortune" was a favourite polo pony of Mr. 

 Marsh's during perhaps the brightest period of the existence of 

 the West Essex Polo Club. If lovers of polo in the western 

 borders of Essex were much indebted to Mr. Marsh tor 

 placing his beautiful ground at Gaynes Park at their disposal. 



