244 



LEAVES FROM A HUNTING DIARY 



finish. First to catch them ere they reached Rookwood Hall came the 

 huntsman, the Master, and Mr, Giles. At splitting pace hounds ran on 

 for Bird Hatch, not touching Brick Kilns or Norwood in their flight, and 

 the country was dotted in all directions with those that had been left 

 behind. 



A stern chase is a long chase, but 'tis the only way to make sure of ever 

 recovering hounds, and the reward came at the check at Bird Hatch, to 

 all those who rode the line and took the fences where the needle had been 

 threaded — and the pattern wove. From Bird Hatch they ran on at a good 

 hunting pace past Waples Mill, swung to the left by Garnish Hall, and lost 

 their fox just under Leaden Roothing's dark hanging woods, into which he 

 was afterwards viewed by Mr. Waters, dead beat. Time, about forty-five 

 minutes. All this we learnt from the smiling throng who came trotting 



Running for Brick Kilns 



back behind the hounds en route to tap Man Wood again, and amongst 

 them, in addition to names already mentioned, were Mr. H. J. Price, 

 Mr. Grossman, and his brother-in-law, Mr. Dawson, who was carried 

 most brilliantly on a wonderful pony ; Mr. Newman Gilbey, Mr. E. Pelly, 

 Mr. G. H. Lee, Miss Buxton, Mr. C. E. Green, Mr. Howard, Mr. 

 F. Green, Mr. S. Green, the latter with muddy hat and still muddier 

 coat. 



The cream of this run was undoubtedly the piping burst to Bird Hatch, 

 for by the time it was over the fruit had been gathered, and the tale had 

 been told by those who were fortunate enough to get away with or over- 

 haul the hounds soon after the start. 



The only consolation I was able to offer the fellow sportsmen whom 

 I met in search of hounds was that the pack had probably, after the run 

 of the season, eaten their fox and gone home. That indeed would have 



