292 LEAVES FROM A HUNTING DIARY 



We were all glad, too, that our Master, Mr. E. S. Bowlby, was able to 

 ride again, and hoped that the rumour of his resigning the Mastership at 

 the end of the season was a rumour and a rumour only. Mrs. Bowlby was 

 out also, Mr. and Mrs. Arkwright, Mr. C. E. Green, Mr. Arthur Bowlby 

 and the three Miss Bowlby's, Mr. F. Avila, Mr. E. A. Ball, Mr. and 

 Mrs. R. F. Ball, Mr. F. T. Basham, Mr. W. H. Baddeley, Mr. R. Y. 

 Bevan, Mr. H. Blyth, M. G. Buxton, Miss T. Buxton, Mr. S. Caldwell, 

 Mrs. W. R. Clarke, Mr. E. E. Cockett, Mr. Walter Cook, Mr. and Mrs. 

 Weston Crocker, Mr. C. F. Fitch, Mr. H. P. Gee, Mr. N. Gilbey, Mr. 

 Tresham Gilbey, ^liss A. Gold, Mr. Gerald Gold, Mr. F. Green, Miss M. 

 Green, Mr. T. J. Howard, Mr. W. S. Horner, Mr. Eric Lobb, Mr. R. C. 

 Lyall, Mr. A. Peel, Miss E. Peel, Mr. J. G. Pelly, Major and Mrs. 

 Ricardo, Mr. C. E. Ridley, Messrs. L. and E. Savill and Miss Savill, 

 Rev. R. L. Scott, Mr. A. T. Sewell, Mr. and Mrs. W. Sewell and Miss 

 Dorothy Sewell, Mr. S. Single, Mr. A. R. Steele, Miss C. Steele and Miss 

 M. Steele, Mr. R. S. TilHng, Mr. J. Todhunter, Mr. B. E. Todhunter, 

 Mr., Mrs. and Miss Waters, Mr. Tyndale White and Mr. John White, 

 Mr. E. W. Young, Mr. E. S. Kennedy, Mr. Balfour, Mr. James Green and 

 son, Mrs. Hine. 



What sort of scent do you think there will be ? elicited from that 

 veteran Mr. W. Sims Horner, the reply, "Ah! that's impossible to say." 

 Both Mr. Lyall and another man rashly hazarded that, with the frost in the 

 ground and the strong cold wind blowing, scent would be at a discount. 

 They w^ere deceived ; though, with the first fox discovered, just outside 

 Parndon Woods, scent was not good enough for hounds to press him, until 

 after crossing Rye Hill Common he turned up wind ; a turn that did 

 Mr. G. Buxton out of his usual place in a good run ; for, stopping to help 

 Short, who had come to grief, to remount, he took a wrong turn, thinking 

 hounds were pointing forestwards ; and, taking one wrong turn, he kept 

 taking others, which in the deep state of the ground it was impossible to 

 make good at the pace hounds ran. Short, however, was more fortunate, 

 and got to hounds by Maries just as they fairly settled down to run with a 

 will, and was very soon demonstrating that he v»'as on a good timber 

 jumper, no one caring for the rails he selected. 



Leaving Maries Wood on our left, we crossed the farm road, Mr. 

 Arkwright leading, followed by Mr. T. J. Howard on his grey, and Mr. F. 

 Green on his chestnut, and the Admiral on his 'bus-horse. No one 

 headed them over this delightful grass country, although there were plenty 

 close on their heels, until hounds checked for a few seconds just on the 

 edge of Epping Green, Mr. Gerald Gold breaking the rails that barred 

 our access to it. 



Hounds entered Parndon Woods at the Nasing corner, and our ranks 

 closed up, about twenty being ready for the gap by the time Short's holloa 

 away, half-way down the covert-side, was heard — Mrs. Bowlby, Mr. Ark- 

 wright, Mr. G. Gold, Mr. Tresham Gilbey, about the first through ; Mr. 

 E. Lobb, on his black thoroughbred mare, going for a stiff stile '■'- on the 

 right of the gap with the same pluck and determination that his twin 

 brother, Godwin St. John Lobb, led his company of the C.LV. when 

 Lord Roberts seized Jacobsdal on February 15th. The mare hit it hard, 

 and, nearly pitching a somersault, sent her rider flying well clear of her, 

 and, galloping off, was not recovered for three fields. 



* About the first time I have seen this stile attempted, the well-known and well-worn 

 poached-up gap, with its deep drop and greasy landing (the only other feasible place in the 

 fence) having far too great an attraction for the majority of us. — Ed. 



