A GOOD RECORD 85 



we did not find again, but only encountered a strange figure, which, on 

 closer inspection, turned out to be our best feather-weight, arrayed in the 

 garments and only change of clothes at Abridge of a well-known heavy- 

 weight. Lucky that they both did not get into the river. The feather- 

 weight had successfully swum it, but unfortunately, in his effort to get out, 

 lost a lot of time and both his stirrup irons, so made for Abridge. One day, 

 no doubt, some peaceful angler will wonder what strange fish he has caught 

 till he lands one of Roly's* stirrup irons. 



After killing an old fox in Miss Archer Houblon's garden on Monday, 

 February iSth, we found ourselves late in the day at Barber's Wood. For 

 a long time no sign of a find, and we were just thinking of turning our 

 steps homewards when Mr. Hervey Foster caught a glimpse of Jack waving 

 his hat, and called out, " They are away ! " So they were too, and by 

 the tmie we had galloped round the wood were two fields to the good. Two 

 banks and a brook had to be negotiated before reaching hounds, who had 

 come to a check ; a couple of hounds showing a line by the side of the 

 brook, the rest ran heel for about a hundred yards, but Brooker was there 

 to turn them, and they were away full swing again. There was just time 

 to note a black horse jump short at the brook, the rider hanging on to the 

 reins like grim death to keep him from slipping back ; but no use — back 

 he went, and seemed very content to remain there. A light-weightf on 

 a roan fared rather better, as his horse landed in the field with a fall, 

 but they got up together. This proceeding damped the ardour of a good 

 many, and they most resignedly viewed hounds turning further and further 

 away from them as they bore away towards Gaynes Park. It was an 

 up-hill piece getting there, but some nice hunting when we did. Mr. C. 

 Green (who, owing to his unfortunate accident on Saturday week, when 

 he broke his collar-bone, was on wheels) viewed him as he crossed the 

 ride. Hounds now ran very fast through Gaynes Park woods, nearly 

 into Ongar Park, and crossed the road near Messrs. Miller's farm, and 

 hunted very prettily through Beachetts, carried it out and lost near Hill 

 Hall palings. 



This made the fifth day running on which hounds had killed, a 

 record that speaks volumes for pack and huntsman, as scent had not 

 been good owing to the dry east winds. 



We reposed a good deal of confidence in each other's horsemanship in 

 those early days of 1884, I am thinking, for if Charlie McKee, on Monday, 

 25th, when we met at Nasing Common, was having a " liker " on a new pur- 

 chase of mine from Edward Lawrence, I was equally well, or better, off on 

 Mr. C. Green's " Chance," which subsequently, with Mr. R. Bevan up (I 

 foolishly refused the mount for the sake of riding my own nag), won the 

 1884 Point-to-Point in a canter. Sir Henry viewing a vixen away from 

 Nasing Coppice, had the hounds stopped, but the dog that remained behind 

 gave us a capital run. Going out the bottom end of the coppice, hounds 

 soon swept up the hill, some high timber in the corner of a field near 

 Harold's Park being the only way to them, as, with Mr. E. Ball on 

 "Burke," the winner of the 1883 Red Coat Race, carrying a strong lead, 

 they raced to Shatter Bushes by Obelisk Wood, when Charlie Mclvee, 

 jumping some rails, found himself like a rat in a trap. He could not get 

 out until hounds had gone clean away, nor catch them before they reached 

 the Waltham Road, out of which Mr. Fred Green took a toss off " Madrid." 



* The Poet Laureate of the Hunt. t Mr. Kenneth Gibbs. 



