FOX-HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS 37 



On the gth of February 1872 the Duke of 

 Beaufort kindly invited me to bring the hounds 

 for a day in his wall country meeting at Trouble 

 House. We had a capital day's sport, and my 

 diary of that time says : '' Trouble House by in- 

 vitation ; i6|- couples. The hounds went by road 

 to the V. W. H. kennels at Cirencester the previous 

 night. A large field, at least five hundred horses, 

 and many more on foot and wheels. Drew 

 Georges Gorse blank, found at Newnton Gorse ; 

 away very fast, 35 minutes by Shipton Wood, 

 and killed at Garden Plantation near Weston 

 Birt. Drew the laurels at Highgrove blank, 

 then an outlying fox jumped up; we raced him 

 to Old Down and killed. Then halloed to a 

 fox at Chavenage ; a good hour and thirty minutes 

 with him, but when he was quite beat a fresh 

 fox jumped up out of a chalk pit and took us to 

 Cherrington, where I stopped them and the 

 hounds went home. I went with them as far 

 as Cirencester, where I was staying with Sir 

 William Throckmorton, who was then Master 

 of the Vale of White Horse. There was a 

 good scent all day, and quite a good day's 

 sport.'' 



At that time Bob Chapman, the noted Chelten- 

 ham horsedealer, lived at his house, Oaklands, 

 a few minutes' walk from the kennels, and his 



