BOB BALL HAS IT ALL TO HIMSELF 93 



Hounds very rarely run through the Forest — own to a line is about as 

 much as they can do ; but that day tliey were close to their fox, and, bear- 

 ing away first of all to the left as if for Havering, turned suddenly back to 

 the right till they came out on the Chigwell Row road between the Beehive 

 and Whitehall, where Sir Kenneth Kemp, who used to hunt with us, had 

 winter quarters one or two seasons ; across this and straight down over the 

 meadows, then sharp to the left across Gravel Lane, nearly up to Pudding 

 Lane, then swung right, with never a check, and straight on between the 

 two lanes till they came opposite Marchings, through the grounds of which 

 they ran, over the brook, and up the hill to the lower coverts of Bishop's 

 Hall over the boundary fence, up to and across Hoe Lane, and to ground 

 in the next field but one ; as good a forty minutes as they have had or will 

 have this season. It is sad to relate, but nevertheless quite true, that, out 

 of a large field, only one, Mr. R. Ball, was with hounds from start to finish. 

 Bailey, who cut the work out in his old style in the first part of the run, in 

 spite of not having been in the saddle for some time, owing to severe 

 illness, was never very far from them, Mr. C. E. Green and Miss Wood being 

 well placed from the Forest, and about the first up. The remainder kept 

 dropping in by twos and threes, and most of them arrived on the scene, 

 including the first whip, to witness the final act. This fox had made no great 

 point, but was supposed to have been one of the most successful robbers of 

 hen-roosts in the neighbourhood, so had to be sacrificed to the popular 

 opinion. Spade and terrier were soon at work, and our first whip proved 

 that he could handle a fox as well as he can ride a rough horse, for he soon 

 had him by his brush, and coolly asked the Colonel — Sir Henry was not out 

 — whether he would like them both out together, for the terrier had him by 

 the head ; so out they came, the fox shook himself clear, but was bowled 

 over before he could get the length of a grass field. It ought perhaps to be 

 recorded that the Abridge policeman rendered valuable assistance in 

 keeping the excited foot-people from crowding round the drain while the 

 digging-out process was going on — no doubt the heart of a sportsman beat 

 under that blue coat. 



The second run was a better point, but lacked the dash of the first. 

 Found again directly in one of the Bishop's Hall coverts, but our friend, 

 evidently a traveller, would have left unobserved, if some people driving had 

 not viewed him crossing the Abridge and Ongar road some three hundred 

 yards from the covert. The river here would have been an awkward 

 obstacle had there not been a convenient ford, but hounds ran down its 

 banks some distance before crossing— luckily for those on the right— close 

 to a ford, and held a line into Shalesmore. False intelligence reached Bailey 

 that the fox had gone back ; but the mistake was soon rectified, and when 

 hounds were in again, they took up the running at once, and Jack viewed 

 him away towards Hill Hall. They ran fast up to the road and nicely over 

 the park, the palings of which proved more disastrous than any fences we 

 had come across in the run, for two or three of the most stalwart men in the 

 hunt had upheaved part of them or taken a heavy gate off its hinges—I am 

 not certain which— when down it fell, flop ! on the top of them, and covered 

 them with mud if not with glory. Hounds hunted very prettily and slowly 

 through the Hill Hall spinneys, and gave us plenty of time to catch them 

 before they reached Barbers, from which wood Bailey viewed the fox 

 going away towards Gaynes Park. They ran very nicely down the brook 

 towards Coopersale, where a decided check took place. Bailey could not hit 

 it off again, and as they were now in the country which they intended 

 drawing at an early meet, it was decided to go back to the Osiers, so a good 

 many one-horse men, including your humble servant, left them. Of course, 



