340 LEAVES FROM A IIUxNTING DIARY 



few trees and sprinkled over with cattle and sheep, but not 

 a living soul within ken. 



At length I spied a building which looked somewhat but 

 not much better than one of the ordinary cattle sheds in this 

 part of the country and placed in the centre of immense grass 

 ground, and making for it I found it to be a human habitation, 

 or herdsman's hut, tenanted by a woman who directed me to 

 Keythorpe. Here I met a girl, a woman and a man, each 

 and all of whom directed me to Stanton, and assured me that 

 I could not miss the road ; I thought at the time I should be 

 clever it I did not miss it, and the more so as my directors 

 were in the valley and could not therefore point out the objects 

 they were describing — moreover the morning was still 

 rather misty. However, I cantered up the hill and did my 

 best to follow my instructions, but got as completely lost as if 

 in the desert of Sahara, and in a locality which seemed about 

 equally populous. 



Here I was fuming and fretting, galloping about among 

 the large grass lands, trying one bridle way after another with 

 alike indifferent success. Looking at my watch and finding 

 that it was half an hour after the time fixed for the meet, 

 losing leather and patience in bumping over the ridges after 

 my long ride of yesterday, and 1 have no doubt making little 

 "Chancellor" think that his master was bewitched. At length 

 my eyes were gladdened by the sight of a human being 

 looking like a spectre half a mile off I galloped to him and 

 from him got a direction to the opposite hill above Stanton, 

 there I met some foot people who told me that the hounds 

 had not found and were then drawing near the mill on the 

 summit of the opposite hill, near Gloostone. To the mill 

 therefore I turned, " Chancellor " taking a couple of stiles and 

 an awkward fence very cleverly, and then I found Beckington 

 with "Circe," who had been wondering what caused my non- 

 appearance, but having had like myself some, though not 

 nearly so much, difficulty in finding his way. 



1 he vexation I felt in losing my way and being behind 

 time, not expecting to see hounds all day, added to my not 

 feeling very well since I came, quite upset me for the day and 

 I felt out of spirits. The mare, too, with her cough upon her, 

 was out of sorts and has not in fact been right since her return 

 from Radstock. This was the worst day's sport since my 

 arrival, and to make matters worse, " Circe," whom I rode 

 with hounds for the first time, did not please me. In the first 

 place she was too small and felt like nothing under me after 



