56 LEAVES FROM A HUNTING DIARY 



somewhat astonished to see a pack of stag hounds running full cry through 

 the town. It seems that a stag which Mr. Henry Petre had turned out 

 at Matching Green, on the previous Tuesday, had been lost near Maries — 

 it was this animal they ran through the market town and captured near the 

 Powder Mills. 



My diary notes practically confirm Bailey's account in Messrs. Ball 

 and Gilbey's book of the good run from Beachett's, on Wednesday, 

 Feb. 2ist, but, if no soul was near him and Mr. Bobby Wood when they 

 ran across Hill Hall Park, the Mate (who was riding my young roan horse 

 which subsequently became the property of Mr. Parks) and self were 

 sufficiently near to know that they left Mr. Smith's farm on the right, also 

 Theydon Hall, entered the Forest close to Debden Hall (where Mr. 

 Williams was tlien living), ran nearly up to the Wake Arms and then to the 

 left and pulled him down by Luffman's Lodge. We were not too far off to 

 note that Mr. Bobby Wood had the best of it, though we ran him close 

 when it come to tackling the refreshments at Colonel Howard's afterwards, 

 and we finished up the day with a good hunting run from the Lower Forest 

 to Greensted Woods. 



On my fortieth day that season, a foggy day too, and a Fyfield meet, 

 the date Monday, Feb. 26th, I have a note to the effect that in a very fast 

 ring of 25 minutes, with a good deal of leaping, Messrs. Dawson, Ball, 

 Suart and Green, were going well to the fore, and that Mrs. Waters had 

 a bad fall through Mr. H.J. Miller's grey mare coming down in the road 

 with her. 



At 4.30 p.m., Saturday, March 3rd, after the annual meeting, a clear 

 fine day, with easterly wind and every appearance of set fair, we found 

 ourselves at Matching Park, and wound up with a very good 20 minutes 

 by Heathen Wood, through Moor Hall to a kill in P. Chaplin's garden. 



Colonel Gardner assures me that he has never kept hunting diaries, so 

 I fear no contradiction when I find his name figuring in mine as having 

 crossed me at a fence near Heathen Wood, bringing me down, as my horse 

 could not tackle the fence at a stand. However, as I arrived in time to 

 see the fox demolished, I have quite forgiven him. 



In spite of the set-fair appearance of Saturday's forecast, there was snow 

 on the ground which balled freely in horses' feet, on Wednesday, March 

 7th, at Hatfield Heath. For once in a way Sir Henry was late, an occur- 

 rence so rare that it calls for a special note, and by the time we had run a 

 fox from the Hart to the Forest and drawn Quick W'ood, it was snowing 

 heavily, so home by 4.30, and hounds not out again for a week owing to 

 frost. Consequently a large muster at Thornwood Gate, on Wednesday, 

 March 14th, Sir Henry on " Multum in Parvo," the Mate on the " Dodger," 

 W. Sewell on " Ajax," Mac Evans on the grey pony (it must have been 

 mine), Dawson on his black mare, Dickinson on a young chestnut, Bagot 

 on D.'s brown mare, Hargreaves on " Ugly Boy," Messrs. C. Gieen, Bevan, 

 Mr. F. Green on " Madrid," (upon which good horse five days later he 

 won the Heavy-weight Point-to-Point). Messrs. Ball, Philby, L. Pelly and 

 a host of others out to ride after a fine fox from the Lower Forest, by 

 Gaynes, Ongar Park, and Toot Hill, to lose him near Shalesmore — and to 

 finish a capital day with a Latton Park rover near Obelisk Wood — the 

 Mate ha\ing enough left in the " Dodger" to lark home across country. 



Saturday, March 24th. — A day with Essex Union at Warley Barracks. 

 Carnegy, Master. Across country from Parndon Hall to Epping made a 

 good finish to a day which had been more suggestive of picnicing than 

 hunting the fox, so hot was it on Saturday, March 31st. All day we had 

 been busy in the Galley Hill, Parndon Wood and Latton Park countries, 



