472 



APPENDIX 



by name " Byard,'' with his terrified rider, in escaping from a witch who 

 haunted this locahty, jumped forty yards (up hill). Believe it, if you Uke. 

 The footprints, thanks to Colonel Reeve, have been preserved by the fixture 

 of eight enormous shoes at the place of beating off and landing. It is 

 acknowledged on all hands that this meet attracts very large fields, and 

 especially at this time of year. Being situated on the borders of the 

 Blankney country, it lures away many a follower from that charming hunt. 

 Among those present were Lord Brownlow, Sir Thomas Whichcote, Mrs. 

 Franklin, Colonel Reeve, the two Misses Willson, Hon. Evelyn Pelham, 

 Colonel Willson, Mrs. Hornsby, Colonel and Miss Fane, Mr. F. Rhodes 

 and Mr. Welby, Sir John Thorold and Lord Burghley being conspicuous 

 by their absence. Will, the first whip, was laid up with a broken leg, 

 which unfortunate accident occurred while jumping the Holdingham Beck, 

 near to Sleaford Wood, when the meet was at Haverholme Priory. He 

 pluckily, but, as I think, unwisely, rode the remainder of the run over 

 some four miles of stiff fencing, afterwards riding back to the kennels, a 

 distance of something like twenty miles. 



Byard's Leap Plantation was the first draw and a find, as Reynard went 

 away at the Caythorpe end without any hesitation, and for some time the 

 hounds could make nothing of hmi. After many futile casts, the uplifted 

 hat of an old habitue of the hunt sent us along over Burt's farm, where there 

 was a burning scent, and we rattled back right merrily to Byard's Leap, 

 where a vixen jumping up was unfortunately worried. Old Sol was evi- 

 dently too benign and gracious, as the uplifted hats and many handkerchiefs 

 at work bore undoubted testimony. Brauncewell Woods were drawn blank, 

 but Lord Bristol's covert proved more successful, as a fine dog fox was 

 viewed running for Cranwell, and away he went for that ilk ; but, swinging 

 round, we hit the line, simply racing past Brauncewell Wood to the High 

 Dyke, where the scent failed. Happily, Robinson's covert was close at 

 hand, and Reynard made a bold but unsuccessful attempt to cross the road, 

 but, of course, was headed; and, after many hairbreadth escapes of losing 

 his brush, once more tried the road, and, to the horror of all, a solitary 

 horseman on a bay horse was seen exactly in the right place for heading 

 the fox, but sixteen couple of hounds in his wake instilled more fear than 

 this solitary horseman. Smiles took the place of frowns immediately, and 

 away we went past Sir John's coverts, skirting Kirk's little coverts through 

 Rauceby Thorns, and still no check, and on the hounds ran with magnifi- 

 cent peals of music and clouds of dust. A check ensued, letting in the 

 ruck ; but " Forrard on " was the cry, and, rattling to the left of Rauceby 

 Hall, ran to Rippon's Plantation, the property of Colonel Willson. From 

 this covert some half-dozen foxes went away, this not being at all an 

 unusual occurrence, Rauceby being famous for the great abundance of its 

 foxes. Gillard having capped his hounds on the line, and after running 

 past Holdingham Plantation, over Foster's farm, we skirted the rectory 

 grounds at Leasingham, past the Hall, and, leaving the village, ran, 

 apparently, for Roxholm, but, swinging to the left, lost our fox at Kirk's 

 Plantation. A charming gallop, considering the time of year, the wind and 

 the sun. Time, about fifty minutes. A nice line of country, not too hard 

 for jumping, except into roadways, where the turf was anything but soft. 

 Running the hounds through Sir John's neighbouring coverts and making 

 nothing out, we jogged along to Rowley's Covert at Rauceby, running our 

 fox to the Cliff Wood. 



Ancaster Gorse was tried on the road home, whether successfully I 

 knew not, my horse having had enough when we checked at the Cliff. 



