* MY DROOPING SPIRITS BEGAN TO RISE." 189 



needed chance, and the big wattle fence below the park was 

 treated with scorn, but there was little need for hurry now, for 

 hounds were on their noses, and although they hunted on to 

 the park at Baggrave, all Thatcher's efforts failed to set them 

 going again, and he was compelled to leave this gallant fox 

 to live, I hope, and show us another such hunt next season. 

 Ten minutes later the skies broke in a deluge of rain and hail, 

 and the remainder of the field dispersed, thoroughly pleased 

 with their 8|-mile point. 



This was Harnman's first experience of a hunt in England, 

 and he takes back to Virginia, I am glad to say, an enthusiastic 

 impression of fox-hunting in the old country ; the only thing 

 he did not quite appreciate were the ditches, which he has not 

 been used to in America, and I am sorry to say at one place he 

 met a second one on the far side with disastrous results, though 

 neither he nor his horse were any the worse for their fall. 

 The line was about as good as you could find in the Midlands, 

 and a gallant fox drew it as straight as anyone could wish ; 

 the bitch pack made the most of a tearing scent, but never seemed 

 to be able to reduce their quarry's lead to any appreciable 

 extent. 



Saturday, the i6th of January 1909, was a day, which though 

 starting badly, ended by a capital hunt. Again I was energetic, 

 and 6-30 a.m. saw me in a taxi threading the deserted streets of 

 London in a foggy drizzle, snow succeeded, and the trains from 

 the north came into Northampton plastered with snow, and 

 round Brixworth the country was deep in snow. As we neared 

 East Norton, my drooping spirits began to rise. The snow got 

 thinner and thinner, and by 12 o'clock, hounds were leading us 

 out of Horninghold to draw Hegg Plantation. A decent hunt 

 in the morning, and by 3-30 I found myself mounted on my new 

 purchase ' Little Slam,' standing in the angle at the right 

 hand bottom corner of Alexton Wood, in company with 

 Margorie, Major McKie, and half-a-dozen others. 



We had not long to wait ; a fine dog fox popped out at the 

 very corner of the wood, and set his prow for the Hogs Back ; 

 giving him ample time, we moved off down the hill just as 

 hounds and Thatcher came out of cover. At the foot of the 

 hill, three or four of us followed McKie across the ford, and 

 racing up that huge pasture beyond, crossed the Uppingham 



