THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



that, when hounds ran straight across a country, lie could 

 neither see nor hear him, as he could not persuade himself to 

 leap fences ; and yet, from his great knowledge of the country, 

 he was generally up soon after the finish, whatever that might 

 be. Mr. Corbet also surprised our hero by his great dislike 

 to fences, which he found it difficult to reconcile with the 

 enthusiasm he exhibited in the chase ; he, however, by being 

 mounted on very speedy horses, and not afraid to gallop over 

 the ivorst sort of (/round, saw a great deal of the sport, appear- 

 ing at times in a good place when very little expected. And 

 Frank Rab}^ took a leaf out of his book, as regarded his 

 hunters, of which he had always a score of a very good sort. 

 He purchased them, when foals, from his tenants and other 

 farmers in Shropshire, which county has alwaj^s been celebrated 

 for good hunting blood. 



Our hero's opinion of Warwickshire was this. He found a 

 great many bad fixtures for hounds in it, although it was 

 possible that, even from them, by taking a certain line, a fine 

 run, over a fine country, was on the cards. For example, he 

 went one morning a long distance to a cover which was in bad 

 repute with the Hunt, and whence he was told he had scarcely 

 a chance of a run. The fox led him over twelve miles of 

 country, at the very best pace, with only one ploughed field by 

 the way, no river to cross, and only two brooks, and those not 

 serious ones ! But he found some parts of the country which 

 could not be excelled anywhere — and these to a large extent ; 

 and that part which was not good had this redeeming quality : — 

 a blank day in Warwickshire, at this time, was as rare as a 

 black swan in all other countries. 



After a month's sojourn in Warwickshire, where he received 

 some kind attention from several of the principal families, 

 which his name and connections might have ensured him, he 

 took his departure for Northampton, and became domiciled at 

 the George Inn, in the county town, one of the most comfort- 

 able in England. The country — the word county is obsolete, in 

 alluding to hunting districts — was then occupied by Mr. Warde, 

 whose kennel was at Pytchley, where the Club was also 

 established. This was a fortunate circumstance for our hero, 

 inasmuch as it gave him an opportunity of witnessing the 

 proceedings of what may be termed the second great sports- 

 man of that day — the immortal Meynell, although at that 



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