144 LEAVES FROM A HUNTING DIARY 



across the meadow in front of Mr. Sworder's house — (how the sight must 

 have thrilled that veteran's heart, and brought back glad memories of other 

 days when he hiinself was always in the van ; but he lives again in his son, 

 and to-day is in the van once more ; that neat black coat follows no guide, 

 needs no lead, and covers a heart that never beat with a jealous throb) — 

 hounds drove on, crossing the road, and over Mr. Sworder's ploughed land 

 towards Sir Charles Smith's house. 



The pace up to here had been very fast, and a slight check came as a 

 welcome respite to horses, on whose condition a week's frost had already 

 begun to tell tales. A man at plough had turned the fox, and hounds were 

 soon on terms again, straight to Stanford Rivers Rectory, where they got 

 a bit too much to the right (30 minutes to this point). A holloa back a 

 little on the left — (it was here that about six more who had been riding to 

 find hounds all day nicked in) — Bailey took hounds to holloa, and got them 

 on the trail, but the fox must have been headed, as hounds ran straight 

 back to right. 



One hound had strayed behind puzzling out the forward line herself, 

 to her Bailey soon came back with the pack, and they ran on through 

 Kettlebury Springs, down to the bottom, along the brook, until they came 

 to the lane that runs to Toot Hill, up which they ran for some distance, as 

 if they were going straight to Ongar Park, but he had turned sharp to the 

 left across some meadows, and Northlands now seemed his point. How- 

 ever, he took a right-handed turn, and set his head straight for Ongar 

 Park, and led them right up to the Toot-hill road, but was probably 

 headed by a boy clamping mangels. 



Once more he took to the open in the direction of the Mole Trap, across 

 the big ploughed fields on Tawney Common, nearly up to Beachetts, and 

 turning sharp to the right across the road, at the end of an hour and a 

 quarter reached what proved to be the sanctuary of Mr. Chisenhale Marsh's 

 Woods. He was seen by a woodman in covert dead beat, and he was 

 hunted on and off" for another three-quarters of an hour, during which he 

 was actually rolled over by a single hound, but out of the very jaws of 

 death, in spite of the determined efforts and patient perseverance of Bailey, 

 he managed to get away. 



My informant further adds : " I never saw hounds and huntsman work 

 better all through ; it was a rich treat ; nobody to ride over them ; no 

 cramming and jambing for places ; you can just imagine what an oppor- 

 tunity it was for seeing them work. The going was first-rate, a bit heavy 

 on the plough, but the rain in the morning had made the banks all right." 

 ]\Iajor Tait, Mr. R. Bevan, Mr. Neave, Mr. Miller, ]\Ir. Crosse, Mr. Horner 

 and ]\Ir. Harry Sworder were among the fortunate few who saw this 

 sporting run. 



After meeting at Hatfield Heath, December 15th, none but a few hardy 

 spirits (who snatched a day on Christmas Eve), thanks to frost, had any 

 more hunting before January 19th. 'When we met on that day, the snow 

 had by no means disappeared, and little good was done with a fox they ran 

 from Screens. On the bye-day, Thursday, January 20th, at Harlow Com- 

 mon, there were not more than thirty out, including Sir Henry, Mr. and 

 Mrs. Bowlby, Mr. C. Green, Major Tait, W. Sheffield Neave, Mr. E. Ball, 

 Mr. Loftus Arkwright, Mr. and Mrs. Waters, Mr. H. E. Jones, Mr. G. Hart, 

 Mr. Green of Parndon, Mr. Follett, Mr. Bambridge. The first run of 

 40 minutes, with a fox from Mark liushes, leaving Barnsleys and Harlow 

 on the left, and up to Moor Hall by the Osier Beds, killing near Harlow 

 Station, was distinctly good, as was also the hunting run of an hour and 

 a half from the Osiers, leaving off near Parndon Hall. Messrs. R. Ball, 



