152 LEAVES YROM A HUNTING DIARY 



to catch hounds. Crossing the Hatfield Brook below the town, we ran 

 on very nicely towards Hatfield Heath and then turned up to the Forest 

 without entering it ; from there they ran very fast, crossing Sheering Street 

 into the Down Hill coverts, where he did not dwell but went away again 

 at once ; skirting Man Wood he was pulled down in Brick Kilns. 

 Altogether a rare good run of 60 minutes. Amongst those who saw the 

 finish and who went to the front I noticed Messrs A. Kemp, R. Hill, 

 H. Sworder (on a young horse of Tail's) and Lady Brooke. 



On the same evening on the way home I came across the stag hounds 

 in full cry all by themselves near Tyler's Green. Thinking that the 

 stag would probably be killed, I stuck to the hounds, and eventually, with 

 the assistance of some porters, succeeded in taking him on the line near 

 Mr. Primrose IM'Connells ; it was freezing hard at the time. 



Owing to the frost we did not get out again before Saturday, January 

 4, 1890, when we met at Bobbingworth, and even then it was not nearly out 

 of the ground, but still it was not bad going. We found at once at 

 Dewley Wood and ran towards the line ; crossing the lane, but not 

 going over the line, the fox swung down towards the river and then 

 turned back over the Ongar road, and away towards Moreton Wood from 

 there hunting very prettily by Bundish Hall down to Forest Hall. When 

 we got down to the osiers most of the field went left handed for the bridge, 

 only those who went to the right for the ford with Bailey were in time to 

 hear the "forrard away" from Mr. David Christy, who had ridden up just at 

 the right moment. Crossing the Rectory grounds, hounds set to work to 

 run ; leaving most of the field in the lurch, they went without a check 

 straight to Church Wood, through that by the old Kennels across the 

 Park to Kelvedon Hall, to ground. W^e were going for about 30 minutes 

 as hard as we could, Bailey leading with Messrs. Howard P'owler, Gerald 

 Buxton, and Caldwell. This run was a real clinker. 



We had a very stiff day on Wednesday, January 8th, when we met at 

 Down Hall for breakfast. After running a fox to Moor Hall we found 

 again in the osiers near Pishobury, and hustling him by Moor Hall 

 and over the Heath road, pulled him down by Durrington House, 

 eventually ending up the day at Row Wood at 5 p.m., every horse 

 with the exception of Mr. Elder's having had about enough of it. I know 

 "Sir John," the horse upon which Mr. Ned Ball had kindly mounted me 

 did not want any more. 



Quite a nice gallop for those who were in it was the burst from 

 Belgium Springs on Monday, January 27th, about eight ; down at the first 

 fence, and a bill in afterwards from the Rector for a new gate into the 

 road, which some one, trying to follow Mr. Bob Ball on his bay horse, 

 managed to break; we were in and out the lane at Green Farm just about 

 the time the Major" was arriving at the meet ; it had been a quick find 

 and he was a few minutes late. Not so Mr. Arkwright, Messrs. R. Ball, 

 Avila, the huntsman, and Jim, who hit the ford off over the Weald Brook 

 to a nicety as hounds crossed it and ran up to Weald Church and, bearing 

 to the right past Canes, reached Rundells. 



At Four Ashes again on Saturday, February ist, and to repeat if 

 possible the " lucky nick in " with hounds of December 28th. I and the 

 Major jogged on for Row Wood, reaching it about the same time as 

 before to find hounds come up to the covert in a dense fog, not having found 

 a fox all day. When they did find at last an outlying fox they had much the 

 best of horses, for the country was in a terribly heavy state — Lady Brooke 



* Major Tait. 



