Il8 LEAVES FROM A HUNTING DIARY 



February 3rd, at White Roothing. I cannot do better than give the par- 

 ticulars of it in Mr. Lockwood's own words:— 



" Snowing hard, but no frost : I started on ' Friar ' for White Roothing, 

 and arrived rather late, but in time to see them find in Poplars and run with 

 their heads up for ten minutes without a check in a ring to High Roothing, 

 where we killed a fox, but the body went on with our hunted fox, and right 

 up to Hatfield Grange, where he was headed and turned back through Row 

 Wood, on across the Hatfield road over a lovely country up to Canfield 

 Hart without a check. Here we must have changed (our hunted fox going 

 on towards Bullock Springs). We, however, ran into the Forest and broke 

 up our first fox. Miss North went uncommonly well on Keppel's ' Rat-tail.' 

 ' Friar ' carried me splendidly, and Bambridge went A i on a little chest- 

 nut ; twenty men went very straight and hard in this run of one hour and 

 ten minutes. Drew Row Wood again, and found at once. Going away for 

 Broomshaw Bury a tremendous pace they, unluckily for me, turned bang 

 away, and I never caught them till we crossed the Hatfield and Grange road. 

 We then flew to Hatfield Heath to ground at Down Hall, thirty-five minutes 

 without a check. Found again in Man Wood, ran nearly up to White 

 Roothing, headed by Usborne, who was going home, back into Man Wood, 

 through without a check to Brick Kilns on to Moreton by Little Laver, High 

 Laver, nearly up to Tyler's Green. Here''- the honest old ' Friar ' shut up, 

 and I had to leave them with only four men still going — Loftus, Bailey, 

 Charley, and Forester Colvin. They ran past Belgium Springs to Moor 

 Hall, and whipped off, all dead beat, one hour ten minutes. I got home 

 safely, and ' Grey ' was all right next day." 



Saturday, February 6th. Following a meet at Roxwell, when the frost 

 was not out of the ground, we had a very fast run from the Spinney below 

 Screen's Park over the Writtle road nearly to Blackmore, coming back 

 much the same line, thirty-five minutes without a check. Col. Lockwood 

 was going very well on " Birdcatcher " and had three couple of hounds all 

 to himself for some way. It was the last ride on my favourite hunter, 

 " Bosphoras," for he broke down, and it was only by borrowing a horse 

 from Mr. Alger at Moreton that I was able to reach home that night ; it 

 was freezing hard at 8.3c. Poor old chap, four and a half seasons had he 

 carried me faithfully, and he went back to his former master's kennels. t 

 Two weeks previously I had refused almost as much as I had given for him 

 — it was perhaps as well, for he had about stood his time. The runs seem 

 to be coming in the afternoon then, for we had a real A i thirty-five minutes 

 with a kill in the open after mid-day on Monday, February 22nd. Taking 

 our fox from Crane's Wood we ran through Hainault Forest and killed close 

 to Claybury, a six-mile point, Mr. A. Darby going right to the front in the 

 run, and when it was over several found their way to his house for refresh- 

 ment for themselves and their steeds. 



Monday, February 15th. Edney Common the meet. Lady Grove the 

 find. The line. Parsons Springs, Fryerning, Thoby, Doddinghurst, 

 Stondon, returning by Blackmore High Woods — two and a-half hours, 

 always going. Have you forgotten this run, Mr. Neave? If so, I remem- 

 ber the wonderful grey polo pony you owned at that time and the way it 

 carried you. Mr. Jones, too, will remember this run. 



Saturday, February 20th. High Roothing. A large meet, and all in 

 a desperate hurry {viiie R. Lockwood's diary). Lady Brooke in a red tunic, 

 Charlie Beresford and Onslow were our " d — d strangers," as Bailey called 



-■■ I wonder he got as far. The other men must have had two horses apiece out. — Ed. 

 t Mr. R. R. Colvin, who kept Beagles at Monkhams at that time. 



