THE OPENING MEET, IcS85 HI 



line, but a herd would not have turned the little beauties, who were now 

 playing a sure game of the best wins. Not checking an instant, yon had to 

 keep galloping to keep them in view as they entered Canfield-Hart. 

 Through its long ride Bailey disappeared like a will-o'-the-wisp, and by the 

 time five of us reached the far side there was not a sign of anything. Mr. 

 Fowler immediately plunged back, and found the route hounds had gone. 

 Three remained to inquire the way, and the other, riding the outside, got 

 put on tlie right patli b}' one of the new voters. Forward, and getting into 

 a wilder country, hounds ran better than ever. Here Mrs. Keppel, who 

 had gone like a bird in the van all the time, had to stop or run the risk of 

 killing her horse, which was done to a turn, and her husband, of course, had 

 to stay to look after her. The field had now grown gradually and beauti- 

 fully less. Hounds ran up to Canfield-Bury, within one field of the Thrift, 

 the fox's point Dunmow High Woods, which he was fated never to see. 

 The pace quickened, as hounds were now running for blood. The line 

 again, confound it ! But there was no occasion to cross it this time, for 

 they had him. " Whoop ! " — one hour and fifty minutes, and where were 

 all the two hundred knights and dames of Matching Green ? 



Matching Green, 1885, was as balmy as May, and from the Journal the 

 following extracts :^Out : Sir Henry on "Mermaid," Colonel Lockwood, 

 Mr. R. Lockwood, Follett, Mr. C. E. Green, Mr. 1^. Bevan, Mr. and Mrs. 

 Waters, Major and Mrs. Tait, Mr. and Mrs. Keppel, Rev. F. Fane, 

 Mrs. Arkwright, Mr. L. W. Arkwright, the Misses Glyn, Mr. and Mrs. 

 Chisenhale Marsh, Colvins (3), Mr. Tyndale White, Ridleys (2), Messrs. 

 Jones, Ball, McKee, Meek, Parrott, Horner, Parkes, the Admiral, Roffey, 

 Walmesley, Tufnell, Bawtree, Todhunter, Wyllie, Vaughan, Melles. On 

 our way to draw Norwood, from which we had a capital 20 minutes to 

 ground near High Laver Rectory, Mrs. Tait had a very bad fall and Major 

 Tait was kicked in the face going to her rescue, but nearly everyone got 

 down, including Green, Bevan, Sworder, Miller, Ball, McKee, not 

 forgetting Jones. 



A real busy day Monday, Nov. 9th, you'll admit if you follow it out. 

 Abridge the meet, in dull, foggy hunting weather, a fair number present : — 

 Mrs. Waters, Major Tait, Messrs. C. and F. Green, W. and G. Sewell, 

 Stallibrass, MacEvans, McKee, Chisenhale Marsh, R. Wood (Mr. R. Wood 

 riding a horse of Mr. Hargreaves), &c. Found in Long Planting at once, and 

 after a 30 minutes' ring killed behind the Hall. Found again in Cranes 

 W^ood, and had a very fast thing to ground at Albyn's. At the fence after 



the brook, do you remember the man you nearly jumped on, Mr. W ? 



Getting on to another fox at Albyn's they ran him to Crane's Wood and 

 back, the same line to earth which was now closed, and killed about 2 p.m. 

 Then orders for home, but put into Shalesmore on the way back at 2.30, 

 and had a clinking 15 minutes over Hill Hall Park and back to ground — 

 few remaining for it. 



Wednesday, Nov. nth. — Kelvedon Common, a very gentle misty rain 

 falling, wind E., just a day for scent. Did not find until we reached 

 Poles Wood, when hounds went over the hill to the Stondon Road, by Mr. 

 Silvester's, straight to Fryerning Wood, in 20 minutes, over a very blind 

 country ; most of us down at least once. Ball, on his grey, twice ; Keppel 

 three times. No doubt the fox went on, but Bobby Wood would not halloo, 

 thinking it was a fresh one, so we were done out of killing him. Evidently 

 we must have thirsted for blood after the stirring gallop. On our way back 

 a fresh fox jumped up, close to Mr. Tyndale White's house, and in 

 15 minutes they ran him to ground at Poles Wood, when Bailey lost his 

 hounds. 



