6 LEAVES ERO:\r A IIUNTINO DIARY 



What capital order Mr. Rolleston kept his field in, the siiavilcr 

 ill luodo with fort iter in re in the background was his motto, 

 though on one occasion I quite expected his uplifted hunting- 

 crop would have descended on the head of some old boy who 

 was a bit too handy with his thong on the heads of some of Mr. 

 Rolleston's favourites after they had run into their fox. 



A fine horseman, with undeniable nerve, he had a knack of 

 getting across country that few equalled, and none surpassed, 

 and though to my youthful imagination he appeared to ride 

 very short in his stirrups, this doubtless gave him that strong 

 seat over the high fences and deep drops which he was so 

 fond of tackling. Writing to me from Edwinstowe in April, 

 1896, Mr. Rolleston says, "I am glad to say I still enjoy 

 hunting hounds as much as ever, and last season was one 

 of the best I have ever had."* 



Mr. Percy Cooper, alas, has joined the majority. He was 

 hospitality itself, and very keen about hunting in those days, 

 when he was living at Bulwell Hall. Always had very good 

 horses ; one in particular, a grey, upon which he mounted me, 

 was a perfect fencer, with a good turn of speed. 



One of the best runs that I can recall during Mr. Rolleston's 

 and Mr. Cooper's joint mastership of the South Notts was on 

 December loth, 1877, when we met at Linby, and, after 

 a long trot, reached Bloomer Wood, where, finding at once, 

 we ran at a great pace over that country, and by Normanton, 

 Carnfield, and Alfreton, over the Chesterfield road above the 

 toll-gate and fast to Amber Mill, and raced up the valley 

 to Ogston Hall, where the fox was viewed just in front of 

 hounds ; but, managing to struggle into Ogston Carr, he beat 

 hounds, who had been at him for 2 hrs. 20 min. Shooting was 

 going on in Ogston Carr, or doubtless Mr. Rolleston would 

 have handled this stout hill fox. Of the large field that started 

 we belie\-e that the following were a few of the hard\- sur- 

 vi\-ors : — Mr. C. Hibbert, Air. J. Robertson, the late Bob 

 Howett, and, riding one of the latter's horses, Skelton the 

 jockey, who during the run showed the way over a plank 

 and a stile that proved a puzzle to many, in a far safer manner 

 than Mr. R. .Shaw, the then welbknown gentleman rider, 

 surmounted a similar obstacle, without the plank, towards the 

 finish, as his horse (a runaway belonging to Mr. J. Williamson) 

 could only manage a leg at a time, and had to be drixen home 

 twenty-five miles. 



Mr. Rolleston now hunts the Rufford. — Ed. 



