FOX-HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS 43 



direction of Cleeve and Uckington, where the 

 coverts are small, and a fox found in them in- 

 variably sets his head straight for the hills, which 

 frequently means a sharp gallop over the grass. 



The features of the country most vivid in 

 my memory are the stout breed of long grey 

 foxes, and the splendid race of stalwart yeomen 

 who lived upon the Cotswold Hills. 



I must not forget a quaint character who had 

 a peculiar fascination for me and many others ; 

 this was the Rev. Joseph Pitt of Rendcomb 

 Rectory, a fox-hunting parson of the old school. 

 At the time I speak of he was about sixty years 

 of age, with a grim, rugged face, shaggy eye- 

 brows, and a twinkle in his eye which betokened 

 the fund of comic humour concealed under that 

 weather-beaten visage. Very clerical was his 

 costume : always a tall hat somewhat ruffled, 

 a profusion of white neckcloth, a long black 

 greatcoat, and inevitable umbrella, which he 

 carried in his hand, even when mounted for the 

 chase. In deep sonorous tones he addressed 

 everybody as ''Sir,'* but most of his friends 

 called him ''Joe.'' He was very fond of expedi- 

 tions to see other hunts, especially the Duke of 

 Beaufort's, though the difficulty for him on 

 these occasions was to elude the vigilance of his 

 spouse, a rather demure lady with decided views 



