122 LEAVES FROM A HUNTING DIARY 



ran, was accomplished in one hour and forty minutes. In the 

 large woods of Ongar Park he hung for nearly an hour and many 

 of the field having- had quite enough of it and thinking all was 

 over, left ; but he broke again and ran to a small wood called 

 Dewley Wood, by the side of which he fell a prey to the hounds, 

 just three hours from the time of finding him ; but they were too 

 weary to eat him with much avidity until after a few minutes' 

 rest. The fox was found to be unusually large, with a good 

 deal of white about him, and is said to be the gallant fellow 

 who oave us five oood runs last season, from Row Wood, 

 generally, to Screens. 



The fencing and pace were very severe, the former particu- 

 larly difficult towards the close, when with tired horses we got 

 into a stiffer country and had some very awkward roads and 

 park fences to surmount. Among the men who went well were 

 Soames, Stallibrass, Burge, Whitfield, Wilson, Stanes and 

 Bodes, but as it was stated {e.g., Bodes) that no horse went so 

 well as "Carlow," I took the brush and Goddard Morgan, 

 second whip, reminded me of a promise of last season to give 

 him a silver cup made into a fox's head — to which I agreed, 

 though the finish did not come within the condition of my 

 promise, which was " to kill in the open." My cold made me 

 full weak to hold " Carlow," who made another mistake during 

 the day by getting into a ditch going out of a road. I regretted 

 the death of the gallant fox, but recollected my expressed wish 

 of last season, "that if ever he died a violent death it might be 

 an honourable one and that I might get his brush." 



Monday, November 25, 1844. Met at Fyfield. Numerous 

 enquiries about " Carlow " and remarks upon his going so well 

 on Saturday. Jim Morgan told me that the Squire had been 

 again asking about my selling him and was most angry with 

 him because he had sold him to me. Burge also told me that 

 the squire had commissioned him to get me to name a price. 

 To both I replied that I did not want money and that as the 

 horse suited me I would not sell him 



Saturday, November 30. Met at Thorn wood Common and 

 on my way there heard that the Squire had been libellous 

 respecting me on Thursday, having exclaimed when he came 

 up to the earth where the fox had run to ground : — 



" If the little man in the cap had been out the hounds would have been 

 driven over this and we should have known nothing about it." 



I venture, however, to demur strongly to such remarks, 

 since I believe that I cannot fairly be charged with over-riding, 

 "always riding wide of hounds." 



