i02 



LEAVES FROM A HUNTINCi DIARY 



as the Master landed Diana over it, in spite of the overhanging boughs of a 

 tree ri^ht at the tail of the hounds ; but svhat Diana can romp over, even in 

 her old-age, another horse must extend himself to cover. No wonder, then, 

 that the next man came down. , • i , ^i 



The way was blocked, and Mr. Sheppard's lead out into the lane on the 

 left was the only thing offered, and it answered very well for the first 

 six fields, as hounds drove parallel with it, but they were bearing sightly, 

 almost imperceptibly to the right all the time ; and wide was the gap 

 between the left-hand gallopers and those who had come away from the 

 middle of Barnsleys, or better still, made pivots of themselves as hounds, 

 running at a great pace— for it was all grass, and they were close at their 

 fox— swung round them to the right, by Kitchen Hall (famed for supplying 

 the Abbots of olden times), and regained Barnsleys. Fifty minutes by 



^4, 







Brook House 



the clock, and a pad apiece to two pedestrians, and the brush if he had cared 

 to claim it, to Mr. Guy Lobb, for I swear he was the first man in at 

 the death. 



A dozen men will tell you that this was a rare good gallop, and so it 

 was, from Barnsleys to Harlow Common and back at a pace that would, I 

 fancy, have almost satisfied " Q " of the Quorn ; but who comprised that 

 happy band I cannot tell you ; I was much too far behind to note, but I 

 can honestly affirm that I never saw a huge field (there were quite 200 out) 

 so completely spread-eagled in such a short time. Second horses, cigars, 

 coverts many, foxes few, the day rapidly waning, before we were all 

 galvanised into action by the mysterious fox of Pinnacles, who one minute 

 was viewed almost in the jaws of the pack, the next had vanished into thin 

 air. So home in the rising fog, via Weir Hatches, at 4.30 p.m. 



Monday, November igth, the venue was at Brook House, a very 

 suitable name for a trysting-place just then ; but it would hardly ha\c 



