THE CREME DE LA CRERIE 23 



the outside covert on the north-east side of the Essex country. It was a 

 good cub which went away from Brown's Osiers that morning, and 

 crossing the brook that surrounds them gave his foHowers a merry dance 

 over the open— a very bUnd open, to Gladwyn's Gardens, very few 

 besides Bailey, Firr, Mr. B. Dickinson and a stranger from the Puckeridge 

 Hunt, attempting to ride to them over the leafy fences. Sir Henry came 

 up with the intelligence that a fox with his tongue out had been viewed 

 going away, but the merry gallop (the diary entry) a very enjoyable one 

 was over. 



Eagerly looked forward to, and none the less so because it fell on the 

 latest possible day in November, the opening meet was held on Monday, 

 November 7th, at (it need hardly be written) Matching Green, under the 

 favourable auspices of a southerly wind and a cloudy sky. An unusually 

 large number of sportsmen had assembled to meet Sir H. Selwin-Ibbetson, 

 M.P. His huntsman, Bailey, supported by Firr, Littleworth and Crawley, 

 looked as fit as the hounds, which, after a hard and very successful season's 

 cubhunting, were in first-rate condition. A rather longer time than usual 

 was allowed for late arrivals, owing to a drag tooled by the secretary, Mr. 

 Hervey Foster, being expected. It was not, however, until hounds were 

 on their way to covert that he drove up, with a load of as good sportsmen 

 as ever crossed country — in fact the cvemc de la cveme of straight riders, 

 Messrs. F. and C. Green, R. Ball, R. Bevan, P. Hargreaves, and A. Suart. 

 The hounds were not stopped, a canter across the grass landing the late 

 arrivals well on their way towards the coverts in front of the numerous 

 pedestrians, who, directly they saw what was up, made a rush after them. 

 The hounds went into Brick Kilns Wood, the first covert drawn, with that 

 dash one likes to see. Soon a whimper, gradually getting louder, then a 

 burst of music which sent one's blood tingling through one's veins, 

 proclaimed a find. Unfortunately for Reynard, he was not stout-hearted 

 enough to face the open until it was too late ; for, when he broke at last, 

 hounds were so close to him that he sought shelter in Capt. Meyer's garden, 

 and was soon run into. Whoop ! brought up the field, who had gone 

 galloping after a holloa, another fox having gone away at the same time. 



Here many took the opportunity of tasting Capt. Meyer's celebrated 

 home-brewed ale before jogging on to Man Wood, where, although there 

 were a lot of foxes on foot, it was some time before hounds could get away 

 with one, which they did at last with an indifferent scent, and hunted him 

 slowly though perseveringly up to Hatfield town, leaving it on the right. 

 There was a check here, but Bailey made one of his usual casts, and 

 hounds, hitting it oft" over the road, kept driving steadily on. Shortly 

 afterwards a shrill view halloa was heard, and Bailey, losing no time getting 

 to it, soon had his hounds on better terms with their fox than they had been 

 before. I had only a bird's-eye view of the rest of the run, for — hesitating 

 too long over a brook, which Mr. Hervey Foster safely negotiated, and 

 which having stopped a welter weight in pink I did not feel warranted 

 in essaying— I cantered along for a bridge over which the rest of the 

 field had gone. Hounds must have raced here, for when I got over they 

 were fading rapidly out of sight ; a straggling and also a struggling line of 

 sportsmen (for a good many were off") enabled me to steer my course in the 

 right direction, and to come up with the hounds who had killed their fox 

 close to Pamphilon's earth. After the hounds had broken him up they 

 were thrown into Quick Wood. A quick find and a forrard away set the 

 eager field galloping after hounds in the direction of Down Hall, the fox 

 making for the well-known ivied tree, where, being headed, he ran to 

 Matching Park, and from there to Moor Hall, back again to Down Hall, 

 where he was lost. 



