VOLUNTEERS FOR THE FRONT 277 



on through the Forest and Gaynes Park woods, we lost our fox near 

 Jordan's Farm, by which time it was freezing hard with every appearance 

 of a frost setting in — which it did so severely that by Sunday, December 17th, 

 skating was going on in various parts of the country, the Lake on Epping 

 Plain bearing well. 



Monday a cold thaw set in, enabling us to hunt on Wednesday, 

 December 20th, when we met at Great Parndon. 



One of the first men I encountered at the meet was Major Beale Colvin, 

 who informed me that he, with several of the troopers belonging to the 

 Duke of York's own Loyal Suffolk Hussars, were going out with the body 

 of 3,000 Imperial Yeomanry which Lord Chesham was to command. Of 

 course little else but the war was talked about in the hunting field, for 

 directly or indirectly it affected everyone. Mr. Peel told me that his son, 

 who was with General French's force, had been placed hors de combat. 

 H. E. Jones said his son was going out. Col. Lockwood said he quite 

 expected that the reserve of officers to which he belonged would be called 

 out and have to go. Ford Barclay said he was going out with one of the 

 irregular troops being raised, and that he quite expected the following 

 Christmas to be camping out on the veldt with the force besieging Pretoria. 

 F. Green, in answer to a question of mine, if there had not been a great 

 run on his ships (the Orient Line), replied that the Government wanted 

 all they could possibly spare. 



The sport was of indifferent character and does not call for any lengthy 

 notice. A fox was chopped in Latton, and another with an injured foot 

 only stood up for an in-and-out ten minutes at piping pace from the small 

 springs outside Latton Park, being killed near Epping Long Green. 



Saturday, December 23rd, 1899. Waples Mill. A very foggy morning 

 at starting for the meet, but the sun broke through and it turned out a 

 lovely day. 



This was my first day in the Roothings this season, and my first day 

 upon old " Berserker." I was doubtful whether I should be able to hold him 

 on account of my shoulder,* but found the strap round my arm a great help. 



There was a good muster, including Frank Jones, H. E. Jones's son, 

 who had volunteered and expected to go out with the Imperial Yeomanry 

 to South Africa. F. Green's son, Sydney, was also going, and young John 

 White told me that he had volunteered. 



There was a very keen, hard-riding lot out, including : Mr. E, S. Bowlby 

 and his son; Miss E. Bowlby, Mr. and Mrs. L, Arkwright, Mr. Fred 

 Green and his son, Charlie Green (just back from Harrow), Miss M. Green, 

 Mr. and Mrs. Waters, Miss Morgan, Mr. Hilliard, Mr. H. E. Jones, Miss 

 Jones, Mr. and Mrs. Grossman, iNIr. and Mrs. Woodhouse, Mr. T. Usborne, 

 M.P., Miss Usborne, Mr. A. R. Steele and Miss Steele, Col. Lockwood, 

 M.P., Messrs. A. J. Tweed, J. Swire, H. Blyth, P. Gold, F. Basham, Ford 

 Barclay, W. and C. E. Ridley, F. Ball, T. Christy on " Brown Tony," N. 

 Gilbey, S. Caldwell, Weston Crocker, George Brown. 



It was quite evident before the day was over that the unenviable 

 notoriety which the Roothing country had acquired for its paucity of 

 foxes was fully justified. Not a fox was found in any of the following 

 coverts : Spains Wood, Willingale (from which such a good run had taken 

 place earlier in the season across to Blackmore High Woods) proved blank. 

 When Spains Wood was being drawn there was great competition to be 

 first down the lane leading to the covert, the exit of one at a time out of 

 the lane on the previous occasion, already alluded to, having brought 



* I had dislocated it a month previously. 



