Fox-httntmg Past and Present 



main authority for those golden days, did not 

 think very nobly of either of them. The former 

 drew his coverts too quickly, and so ^Mrew over 

 his fox scores of times." Also, " he was very un- 

 certain : sometimes he would not lift his hounds 

 at all," and, adds the veteran, ^^you must lift, 

 and lose no time if you want runs in Leicester- 

 shire with those big fields." One quality, how- 

 ever, he had, sure to have been appreciated by 

 those big, eager fields : ^' he was always for being 

 away as quick as possible." It was his maxim that 

 the best fox always broke first ; and after the first 

 that broke off he would go, often with only three 

 or four couples of hounds. This, no doubt, 

 entailed a tremendous burst, but at the first check 

 as often as not the run was spoiled. '' The Squire " 

 seems to have been still more ^' uncertain." ^^ He 

 was the oddest man you ever saw at a covert-side. 

 He would talk for an hour : then he would half 

 draw, and talk again, and often blow his horn 

 when there was no manner of occasion — always 

 so chaffy." But he is allowed to have been 

 "very keen of the sport," and to have got away 

 with his fox "like a shot"; while, for sheer 

 riding, his great rival Dick vowed, " no man 

 that ever came into Leicestershire could beat 

 Mr. Smith ; I don't care what any of them 

 says." The pick of the country is to be had 



from Melton. 



20 



