2 26 LEAVES EROM A HUNTING DIARY 



Bailey was a doner, as, after turning turtle over some barbed wire on 

 Mr. Bott's land near Waltham Abbey, in a run from Galley Hills, en 

 Wednesday, March 30th, he lay without moving ; I was just behind him 

 and saw it all happen ; hounds were going very fast, there was a gate 

 at tlie bottom of the meadow, and the fence at the side looked tempting 

 enough, and it's few gates Bailey ever stopped for when hounds were 

 running. Putting him into a cab, fetched from Waltham Abbey, after 

 he had come round, was a more cheerful business. 

 The card for Saturday, April i6th, was : 



TO FINISH THE SEASON. 



4.30 n.;//., Hdi'loa' Bush Common — 3.30/.;//., Weald Gullet. 



The idea of this original double-barrel day to wind up with was that 

 hounds might be able to run with the dew on the grass, scent having been 

 absent owing to the east wind and glaring hot sun. Determined to see this 

 double meet, I got up at 2 a.m., had a capital breakfast at 3.15 a.m. I 

 expected Sworder, to whom I had oflfered a mount, but he did not turn up. 

 The howling wind and bitter sleet which rattled against the window panes 

 was anything but promising. However, I set off on my three-mile trot to the 

 fixture shortly after 4 o'clock, in the teeth of the driving snow and sleet, and 

 arrived at the meet to find only two others there, ]\Ir. Howard Fowler and 

 young Rickett. We were very dubious about hounds coming, and so went 

 off in the direction of the Kennels and met Bailey with his hounds. The 

 Master soon turned up, and amongst the few who did, I noticed Lady Brooke, 

 Miss IMorgan, Mr. Quare and his daughter, Messrs. Caldwell (2), Chaffey 

 Collin, Arkwright, E. Barclay, G. Buxton, F. Green and his son. It snowed 

 now harder than ever, but in spite of this hounds were thrown into covert, 

 Latton Park. A fox was quickly on foot, but hounds could not run him a 

 yard ; a few other coverts Avere drawn, when, seeing how hopeless the case 

 was, the order was given for home, and in consequence of the snow the 

 afternoon fixture was also cancelled, and Monday fixed for Blackmore to 

 wind up with. Taking the season of 1892 all through, it can only be pro- 

 nounced as a very rugged one, good sport alternating with frequent spells 

 of frost, dry weather and other drawbacks. All other packs in England 

 seemed to have fared badly. 



