125 LEA\'ES FROM A IlI'NTINC; DIARY 



all right, and for the next t\vent3--five minutes hounds required no further 

 assistance as they ran, through Shatter Bushes, and turning sharp to 

 the left favoured those who turned with them, for at the pace they were 

 going, as a good many of us found out who went round the top end of 

 Shatter Bushes, there was no catching them until they had reached Nasing 

 Coppice in twenty minutes. 



The day was close and moist, and horses had not time to get their 

 wind before our fox was away again with hounds close to him, doing his 

 best to reach Galley Hill, but being dead beat, he turned sharp to the left, 

 out of the green ride, and in two fields found refuge in an earth in a narrow 

 plantation, scarce his own length in front of hounds. Thirty-five minutes 

 from the start. Two yapping little terriers were then brought on the 



Spratts Hedgerow 



scene, which their owner, in language more forcible than polite, declared 

 would soon fetch him out, but their bark was worse than their bite, for 

 they failed to accomplish it. 



What a covert Galley Hill is ! Scarce were hounds in before another 

 dog fox was flying for his life. Headed in his first attempt to break 

 toward Monkhams, he bore up the hill and broke as if for Deer Park, but, 

 turning sharp back, went at such a pace through the wood that all but a 

 lucky few were left behind with such a deplorable start that they could 

 never catch hounds again imtil they had pulled their fox down in Warlies 

 Park. Taking the road under the brow of Galley Hill for about three 

 hundred yards, they left it to turn up towards Monkhams at a rattling pace. 

 The ground was heavy and holding, so no wonder Bailey's horse whipped 

 round at a high bank with hairy fence on top. A chesnut" came at it, 



Mr. Crosse's. 



