WILLIAM SYMES HAS A BAD FALL 205 



I remember going down that Wednesday night to Rugby and hunting 

 next day with the Warwickshire, and the following day with the Atherstone 

 when I got two falls. I remember the week after going down to Rugby 

 again and having a day with the North Warwickshire, and the following 

 day with the Pytchley, and early in the run coming to grief over a gate ; 

 which accident provoked a comment in the Field from " Brooksby," and 

 hurting my back again made necessary a lift home in a butcher's cart, and 

 ten weeks' rest before I could ride again. 



Saturday, March 7th, 1891. Stag hounds at Magdalen Laver. For 

 quite six weeks there had been no rain and the Master at once told us on 

 our arrival that there would be no scent. Mr. Harrison provided a very 

 good luncheon at Mr. Lucking's house. Almost directly the deer was un- 

 carted (an untried stag) a very heavy storm of rain came on. We had a 

 ringing run of about two hours round by Weald Bridge, Sewald's Hall, 

 Harlow Park, eventually taking at Harlow ; the deer having broken his 

 fetlock had to be killed. Within two miles of Harlow, Mr. William Symes''' 

 on his mare " Miss Templar " got in a ditch, and with his mare on the top 

 of him, it looked like being a very nasty thing ; luckily there was plenty of 

 help at hand, and after about half an hour's work we managed to get him 

 out ; he seemed to be in a great deal of pain, so we had him driven home. 

 A great many of the followers of the foxhounds were out, including Major 

 Tait, W. and G. Sewell, Miss Oliver, Messrs. Endon Oliver, E. Ball, F. 

 Ball, H. E. Jones, Miss Jones, Messrs. Caldecott, Avila, Howard, Symes 

 (two), Scruby, Tyndale White, Barclay, Arkwright, and Caldwell. 



Monday, March 9th, Dagenham. I did not go to the meet, but left home 

 about 1.45 p.m. and fell in with hounds at Lambourn End. Colonel Lock- 

 wood's coverts all being drawn blank, also the Forest (Hainault) ; it was 

 determined to go on to Loughton Shaws, which had not been drawn for two 

 years ; here we found, as luck would have it, and had a capital scamper up 

 to the Forest, where he got to ground ; very few were left to see the end, 

 C. E. Green, Mr. F. Green and his daughter, Mr. S. Caldwell and Avila 

 with the hunt servants. The same evening as we rode home (it had been 

 bitterly cold all day) it commenced to snow and by early morning it lay to 

 the depth of four inches everywhere, with heavy drifts in places and about 

 four feet deep just outside my house. 



Tuesday, March loth. The snow had by no means melted, and it was 

 very cold and snowing again towards evening. 



There was no stint or lack of cheer when Mr. Harris issued a hearty 

 welcome, to one and all, to a capital champagne luncheon at Passmores on 

 the occasion of the Staghounds meeting there on Saturday, March 14th. A 

 goodly throng, (which, but for snow-bound banks and ditches, would have 

 been of much larger dimensions), put in an appearance. The deer — a hind, 

 a well-known heroine of last season, but which this season had not been tried 

 before — was enlarged at about a quarter to one, and immediately pointed 

 for Parndon Woods. 



When the hounds were laid on they settled to it at once, and it was 

 quickly evident that in spite of the snow there was a scent on the plough, and 

 equally certain that horses do not understand snow-filled ditches, for at the 

 second the Master came down. It was all plough — heavy plough, sir ; but 

 it made all the difference v/hether you were near the pack or a quarter of 

 a mile to the bad, as to the way you get over it. If you followed the Major 

 down the headland, you could note how beautifully the hounds were running 



* Mr. Symes has done little or no hunting since.— Ed. 



