180 THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. [1855 



Weston Cliff and the Chellaston gypsum pits, ran a very smart ring for 

 about twenty minutes. Here it was discovered that the fox was a bitch, and 

 the hounds were whipped off. A gentle trot, of perhaps a couple of miles 

 as the crow flies, brought the " field " to Arleston Gorse. This cover lies 

 high and dry, and furnishes a capital bit of lying gi-ound for the " wily animal." 

 Arrived here, the hounds had scarcely entered, when they unfortunately 

 chopped a bitch fox with cub of three young ones ; but a dog was soon started, 

 and away he went in gallant style, over a capital hunting country, at a good 

 hunting pace, and was run into after a chase of an hour and forty minutes. I 

 believe that this was one of the best days Mr. Meynell has had with his 

 hoimds this season. 



RiNGWOOD. 



In the past season the hour of meeting had been 

 changed from 10.30 to 10.45 ; there had been long and 

 very severe frosts, so much so that people use the 

 term a " Crimean winter " as a synonym for a hard one 

 to this day. 



The season of 1856 seems to have been a brilliant one, 

 to judge from " Rover's " letter, and the new huntsman 

 to have given great satisfaction. Poor old Joe, his father, 

 only just lasted out the season. Jack Leedham and young 

 Tom, Charles's brother, were whippers-in. Charles himself 

 was riding second horse for *' Squire " Selby Lowndes. The 

 one topic of conversation in January was the infamous 

 case of Palmer the poisoner, of Rugeley, who was fast in the 

 toils, and, in fact, paid the penalty for his many crimes. 



There is an amusing story told of Tom Leedham about 

 this time. 



A thrusting stranger, who had been making himself 

 very conspicuous all day, and who had been rather too 

 close to hounds on more than one occasion, rode his tired 

 horse at a fence towards evening, and the animal stopped 

 short and shot him over his head into the middle of the 

 hounds, as Tom was casting them into the next field. 

 Old Tom looked at the stranger as he lay on the ground, 

 and remarked, " Theer, ar towd the' the's bin in to' mooch 

 of a hurry all day, and now, dom the', the's in sooch a 

 hurry the' canst na wait for th' 'oss." 



In the run which is so amusingly described below, the 

 field encountered something which would wait for nobody, 

 and which must have caused considerable consternation. 



