LAME HORSES AND HOUNDS. 2$ 



1861. 

 September loth. Commenced cub hunting to-day with a pack in 

 kennel of 48^^ couples of hounds, of which 13 couples are 

 puppies ; the best entry we have had. Weather very dry, 

 ground very hard, prospect of sport consequently bad. 



A Good Gallop. 



October 31st. Met at Peatling, found a brace of foxes at the 

 Gorse, and after an hour's running killed one in the ditch at 

 the bottom of the covert. Went to Wistow, found a bob- 

 tailed fox, ran out at the top, bore to the right for Peatling, and 

 he got to ground in about a mile. Went to Kibworth, found 

 in a spinney, ran very quick along the line of plantations, bore 

 to the right by Sheepthorns, leaving it on the right, up to the 

 Kibworth Road ; up to Kibworth Spinnies again, through 

 them and on to Carlton, by the Hall on the left, across 

 Pateman's farm, and we ran him up to the Langton Road 

 again, when a storm coming on we gave him up, not wanting 

 blood and not wishing to kill so good a fox. They hunted 

 him for i hour 10 minutes in the best and most perfect way I 

 ever saw hounds work, and he took us over a very severe line. 

 " Ploughboy " rose very much in my estimation for the way he 

 carried me. 



And this ends the cub hunting for 1861 ; satisfactory enough 

 in the way of blood, but the ground has been and still is so 

 fearfully hard that we were always laming both horses and 

 hounds ; scent in the open has generally been good, not so in 

 covert. We have not been able to get our usual number of 

 days in consequence ot the hard ground. Foxes very short in 

 the woodlands, very plentiful in the small coverts. 



Summary of Cub hunting. 



»f days hunted 

 led - - - 



Run to ground _ - - - 6 



Number of days hunted - - - 20 



Foxes killed - - - - iP 



November 4th. Met at the XII. Milestone, Welford Road. 

 Commenced regular hunting to-day with a pack of hounds in 

 good condition, and a good stud of 17 horses for the kennels. 



November 7th. Met at Rolleston Hall. Found a fox immediately. 

 We followed the hounds from the wood into the gorse, where 

 I saw him ; got 'em on to him at once, went straight through 



