THE LAST DAY IN THE ROOTHINCS 171 



the Green, and I heard afterwards that it was a case of ropes and horses 

 before he got out. They ran very weU again across Warhes Park, leaving 

 Obehsk Wood on the right along the Cobbins Brook close up to Monkhanis, 

 where the plough favoured this fox. After running at least two hours he 

 found sanctuary in Deer Park, although he was viewed dead beat in Galley 

 Hills close to hounds, the first thirty minutes to the Warren being ex- 

 ceptionally good. Young Willie came down from town by the 12.28, and 

 unluckily just missing us at Parndon Woods had a stern chase to Galley 

 Hills before he came up. He was in time, but only just, for the good 

 forty minutes we had on Monday, March 25th, when we put up a fox 

 in the open near Pinnacles and ran through Parndon Woods by Epping 

 Brewery to the Forest. 



THE LAST DAY IN THE ROOTHINGS. 



HOW " HENRY JOHN " GOT HOME IN 1889. 



One of the best seasons ever witnessed with the Essex Hounds is fast 

 drawing to a conclusion. As usual, the Roothings have played a prominent 

 part in the good sport that has taken place, Roothing Saturdays being syno- 

 nymous with good days ; but few, if any, were better than the last one on 

 March i6th. High Roothing Street will always attract a big muster at any 

 time, and but few of the regular habitues of the Hunt were absent on that 

 occasion — conspicuously so, however, was Mr. C. E. Green, who was 

 attending the baseball match at Leyton with M. Tyndale White. The 

 number of the usual followers was considerably swelled by many strangers, 

 so that the field could not have numbered less than 150. Fortunately the 

 ground was very dry, and very little damage could have been inflicted on 

 growing crops. x\s for the fences in the Roothings, they take care of them- 

 selves. You cannot make a gap in a Roothing ditch, and a horse that does 

 not make due allowance for the fences that fringe these obstacles is very 

 soon consigned to the hammer. 



High Roothing Springs were first drawn, and then some adjoining 

 stubbles for an outlymg fox — as usual, without result ; but the renowned 

 Garnetts responded at once when called upon, and the young Squire viewed 

 a magnificent dog-fox dart like an arrow over the ride. He meant going. 

 There was no time to be lost, for already Bailey's horn was twanging 

 through the covert, and a shrill view halloa came floating down the breeze 

 announcing his flight. The field stampeded in all directions, those inside 

 the covert being certainly best placed, whilst those who rode left-handed— 

 and a good many did — must have had a stern chase before they could catch 

 hounds. By the time we were clear of Garnetts, in the direction of Dunsley 

 Green, some eighty to a hundred were riding to hounds across a by no 

 means easy country. The Squire, who was riding •'' Diana," was taking a line 

 of his own on the right, over some very difficult fences, no one seeming to 

 care to follow his lead, while the whole of the field huddled together on the 

 left, following like tame sheep over the weakest place, while occasionally a 

 bolder spirit shot out from the throng and took his chance at a thicker or 

 more awkward place, but generally coming back to his friends at the next 

 corner, for the country was decidedly trappy. 



Aspoll Park was passed, and the chase sped on very merrily until we 

 came to an awkward brook which the hounds crossed at once, while the 

 field divided right and left to look for a feasible spot. Some few hit off" a 

 place close to where hoirnds had crossed, but it required a clever, bold 

 horse to manage the drop into the stream. Miss Jones was one of the first 

 over, Mr. Caldwell quickly followed, and Mr. Chapman — riding a beautiful 



